Parenting and culture

As the US becomes much more culturally diverse, professionals encounter a wider range of parenting styles and experiences. Today, we look at two articles that examine parenting from broader cultural perspectives. First, Bradshaw et al. (2024) published “Disentangling Autonomy-Supportive and psychologically controlling parenting: A meta-analysis of self-determination theory’s dual process model across cultures” in American Psychologist. Here are the edited abstract and impact statements:

Self-determination theory’s (SDT) dual process model claims that parental autonomy support relates positively to child well-being, while psychologically controlling parenting is linked positively to child ill-being. We tested these claims using a combination of one-stage and univariate meta-analytic structural equation modeling with moderation (k = 238; n = 1,040, N = 126,423). In the univariate models, parental autonomy support was linked positively with child well-being, r = 0.30, 95% CI [0.26, 0.33], whereas parental psychological control was positively linked with child ill-being, r = 0.26, 95% CI [0.23, 0.28]. Consistent with SDT’s dual process model, the one-stage model that controlled for the intercorrelations between predictors showed that parental autonomy support and psychological control had distinct links to child wellness outcomes. Parental autonomy support was linked positively with child well-being, even when accounting for psychological control, r = 0.26, 95% CI [0.20, 0.31], and parental psychological control was positively linked to child ill-being, controlling for autonomy support, r = 0.20, 95% CI [0.17, 0.23]. Crucially, the beneficial effects of parental autonomy support and the costs of psychological control applied across regions, degrees of national individualism and cultural hierarchy, as well as child developmental periods and sexes. These results help move the field beyond debates about whether autonomy is beneficial toward questions about manifestations of autonomy across groups and variations in its optimal support. 

Across regions and cultures, child well-being goes up when parents are more autonomy supportive, and ill-being goes up when parents are psychologically controlling. The research underscores the importance of nurturing parenting strategies for children’s mental health. Such insights can inform parenting practices and child development policies across cultures, improving the possible benefits to children. 

While this is not news, it’s helpful to have a large sample study that emphasizing nurturing and autonomy-supportive parenting. The correlations are not high but statistically significant. The next study looks further at how culture may affect parenting. Sehic et al. (2024) published “Cultural Values and Parental Psychology: A multilevel analysis from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium” Journal of Family Psychology. The edited abstract follows:

The present study aims to gain a greater understanding of the manner in which culture may impact parenting and, thus, child development by examining the relationship between cultural values, socialization goals (SGs), and parental ethnotheories (PEs). Specifically, this study examined links between cultural value dimensions (i.e., individualism/collectivism, power distance, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, indulgence/restraint, and long-term/short-term orientation; Hofstede et al., 2010) and autonomous as well as relational SGs and PEs. We examined data collected from mothers of toddlers (N = 865) between 17 and 40 months of age (M = 26.88 months, SD = 5.65 months; 52% boys) from 14 nations represented in the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium. We hypothesized that: (a) Cultural values consistent with independent cultural ideals would be positively associated with SGs and PEs representative of greater autonomy and independence, and (b) Cultural values consistent with interdependent ideals would be positively associated with SGs and PEs representative of greater interrelatedness. Multilevel modeling was used to regress parental psychology on Hofstede’s cultural values. Support for these hypotheses was somewhat mixed; higher ratings of culture-level indulgence were associated with higher autonomous PEs, as well as with higher relational and autonomous SGs. Furthermore, higher ratings of culture-level masculinity were associated with lower relational PEs and with lower autonomous SGs. The results suggest differences in the effects for cultural values associated with parenting versus cultural values associated with child outcomes and highlight considerations related to dichotomous cultural frameworks. The findings help explain both individual- and country-level variations in aspects of parental psychology. 

Here we have another large sample that looks at somewhat different variables than Bradshaw et al. Hofstede’s model is well regarded in cultural psychology but it has less often been applied to individual than organizational behavior. This study addresses parenting in 14 different cultures. The findings are not surprising, but may supplement Bradshaw’s work and give practitioners good ideas about questions to ask about socialization goals and parental ethnotheories. I will watch for more work utilizing this framework.