This book provides an in-depth examination of adolescents' social development in the context of the family.
Grounded in social domain theory, the book draws on the author's research over the past 25 years
Draws from the results of in-depth interviews with more than 700 families
Explores adolescent-parent relationships among ethnic majority and minority youth in the United States, as well as research with adolescents in Hong Kong and China
Discusses extensive research on disclosure and secrecy during adolescence, parenting, autonomy, and moral development
Considers both popular sources such as movies and public surveys, as well as scholarly sources drawn from anthropology, history, sociology, social psychology, and developmental psychology
Explores how different strands of development, including autonomy, rights and justice, and society and social convention, become integrated and coordinated in adolescence
“Overall, this book gives great detail on adolescent parent relationships and how they effect the development of children . . . This is a comforting message, one very different from popular accounts, and one that parents and adolescents would benefit from appreciating” (Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 5 December 2012)
“Few scholars have influenced the contemporary study of adolescent–parent relationships as much as Judith Smetana. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the ways in which family relationships are transformed during this stage of life.”
—
Laurence Steinberg, Temple University
“In this very thoughtful book Judith Smetana provides deep and insightful understandings of adolescence. Smetana masterfully positions adolescence in explanations of difficulties and developmental progress during these years. This splendid book is indispensable for anyone interested in adolescence, social and family relationships, moral theory, culture, and development.” —Elliot Turiel, University of California Berkeley
Preface vi
1 Introduction: Perspectives on Adolescents and Their Families 1
2 Studying Adolescent–Parent Relationships from the Lens of Developmental Psychology 13
3 Conflicts and Their Vicissitudes 31
4 Parents’ Voices: Conflicts and Social Conventions 43
5 Adolescents’ Voices: Autonomy and the Personal Domain 66
6 Autonomy, Conflict, Connectedness, and Culture 96
7 Adolescent Relationships and Development within and between Cultures 120
8 Adolescent–Parent Relationships in African American Families 139
9 Beliefs about Parental Authority 172
10 Parenting Styles and Practices 193
11 Disclosure and Secrecy in Adolescent–Parent Relationships 216
12 Coordinations and Change in Social Development 249
13 Life beyond Adolescence: Transitions to Adulthood 271
References 279
Author Index 306
Subject Index 313
Judith G. Smetana is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Ph.D. Program in Developmental Psychology at the University of Rochester, where she also held the Frederika Warner Chair in Human Development from 1995 to 1998. She has served on the editorial boards of numerous journals, and she is the author of more than 150 articles and chapters on the development of children′s moral and social reasoning and on adolescent–parent relationships in different ethnic and cultural contexts.
Adolescence is an important developmental period that poses significant challenges for both teens and parents. Although adolescents may become significant sources of irritation and frustration to parents, it is clear now that notions of adolescence as a time of storm and stress are overstated. In this book, Smetana proposes that adolescents′ conflicts and disagreements with parents and their attempts to keep secrets and manage personal information are all reflections of adolescents′ developing autonomy.
Using examples from extensive interviews with adolescents and parents, Smetana illustrates how adolescents and parents in different contexts actively negotiate autonomy and coordinate concerns with autonomy and personal choice with their developing understanding of society and social conventions, safety and health, and moral concerns with justice, welfare, and rights. Smetana draws on social domain theory to consider adolescent–parent relationships, parenting beliefs, and parenting practices among families of different cultures and ethnicities. Drawing on the author′s 25 years of research, as well as popular sources and scholarly research drawn from anthropology, history, sociology, and psychology, this book provides an in–depth examination of adolescent social development in the context of the family.