ETICS AND EMICS OF CHILD-REARING

LECTURE OUTLINE

Introduction: Etics and Emics of Child-rearingEtics: Parental-Acceptance-Rejection Theory (Rohner)

* PAR model* How PAR is studied* Key issues* PAR and personality* PAR and coping* Consequences of PAR*Evaluation of PAR

Lecture Outline (cont)

Emics: Amae* The anatomy of dependence (Doi)

* Yamaguichi’s theorizing on amae

* Conceptual elaboration and ecological validity

* Amae and dependence

* Amae and attachment

Lecture Outline (cont)

Emics: Filial piety (Ho)* Characteristics* Measurement* Determinants* Filial attitudes and behaviours* Filial piety, child-rearing and psychological

outcomes

Parental Acceptance-Rejection Theory

Convergence of Methodologies

Case Study Comparative

Holocultural

Convergence of Methodologies

PAR ITEMSMy mother…..

Pays no attention to meEnjoys having me aroundSees me as a big nuisanceHugs and kisses me when I am goodYells at me when she is angry

Subtheories

Personality subtheoryWhat happens to children who perceive themselvees to be loved or unloved by their parents?To what extent do these effects extend into adulthood and old age?

Coping subtheoryWhy do some children and adults cope more effectively than others with the experiences of childhood rejection?

Sociocultural subtheoryWhy are some parents warm, loving, and accepting and others cold, aggressive, neglecting, and recjeting?how is the total fabric of a society, as well as the behaviour and beliefs or people within the society, affected by the fact that most parents in that societz tend to either accept or reject their children?

PAR and Personality

Emotional need for positive response is a powerful motivator in children

Parental rejection leads to hostility, aggression, impaired self esteem, emotional unresponsiveness and instability

PAR and Coping

Consequences of Parental Rejection

Depression Behavioural problemsSubstance abuse

PAR and Mental Health Outcomes

Evaluation of PAR

Almost 2000 empirical studies since the 1930s

Convergence of results across methods, cultures and over time

Approximately 25% of the variance in adolescent and adult adjustment accounted for by PAR

How to understand Japanese…

The typical psychology of a given nation can only be learned through familiarity with its native language. The language compriseseverything which is intrinsic to the soul of anation, and, therefore, provides the best projective test there is for each nation.

Doi

Clarifying Amae (Yamaguchi)

Amae: the presumption of indulgence, which involves an acceptance of inappropriate behaviour

Elaboration of amaeAmae and dependenceAmae and attachment

Filial Piety

Guiding principle governing patterns of socialisation

Prescribes how children should behave towards parents

Justifies parental authority over childrenDemands obedience, honour and respect

Filial Piety: Measures

Moral dilemmas (e.g. Lee, 1974)1. Material benefits to parents2. Emotional and spiritual support for parents3. Care, love and obedience in parent-child relationships4. Mutual care and love in relationships5. Actualizing ethical ideals.

Psychometric scalese.g. Filial Piety Scale by \Ho and Lee (1974)

Filial Piety: Determinants

EducationAgeGender Socio-economic statusNationalityContinuities and departures form tradition

To which extent are filial attitudes reflected in filial behaviour?

Filial Piety, Child-rearing and Psychological Outcomes

Authoritarian moralism (Ho, 1993)Cognitive conservatism (Greenwald, 1980)

Research evidence consistently points tonegative psychological consequences of filialpiety from a contemporary perspective onhuman development.

Ho (1996, p. 165)

Concluding Questions

What are the positive and negative consequences of filial piety?

Can Amae be studied across cultures?Is PAR a convincing etic theory? Why?