This document contains my lecture notes for the adolescent development course. This concerns lectures 8 to 12, which are material for the second partial exam.
Good luck learning!
Lecture 8 – family and adolescent autonomy
Three main functions of a family:
- Socialization
- Enduring source of support (practical/economical/emotional/social)
- Social embedding = continuity of relationships across the life course
Family Systems Theory = an organized whole, consisting of interrelated parts that influence
each other. The family as a system.
- System = a set of elements standing in interrelation among themselves and with the
environment. Interrelation = not A affects B, but A & B affect each other.
- Changing, self-organizing, and adapting to its members and the outside environment.
System is flexible, but strives for stability (= equilibrium)
- Family = cohesive emotional unit (emotional bond)
Key principles in FST
- Holism – to understand family, not enough to look at members separately. Every
member has a role.
- Hierarchy/structure – organized into subsystems. By gender or generation.
- Boundaries – at every level. Permeability varies across families/time.
Spillover vs compensations
Associations between relationships within the whole family
= when there are loose boundaries between subsystems
Adolescence = disruption of homeostasis
- New balance/equilibrium in family system needs to be found
- Process of (family) adaptation
Parenting styles and adolescents
Authoritative parenting is most beneficial for adolescents, they are often: independent &
autonomous, responsible, self-confident, good self- & emotion regulation, socially skilled,
problem solving & critical thinking.
, What is the worst parents can do? Authoritarian parenting. Adolescents become dependent
& obedient, low self-confidence, low social competence, passivity & lack of school interest,
rebellious adolescents. Or Indifferent parenting. Adolescents become impulsive, delinquent
early experimentations with sex, drugs, and alcohol, mature earlier, academic
underachievement.
Indulgent parenting styles & adolescent functioning -> less mature & responsible,
conforming to peers, self-confident but misbehavior, impulsive. But: could be emotionally
secure & independent. Can be ok.
What do parents and adolescent fight about? Autonomy-related issues (= control issues)
Emotional autonomy = independence in close interpersonal relationships (especially
parents)
Behavioral autonomy = capacity to make independent decisions and follow through
Cognitive autonomy = independent values, opinions, and beliefs
Autonomy = making independent choices and decisions, having independent thoughts and
feelings (-> increased need for privacy)
Increase in parent-adolescent conflict: why?
- Psychoanalytic/biological perspective
Puberty (hormonal changes -> sexual partner + physical appearance) -> the family
needs to adjust to this.
- Maturational perspective
Cognitive development (question parental legitimacy of control + weighing options)
- Expectancy violation-realignment theory
Discrepancies in autonomy/independence expectations initially, particularly timing
autonomy <-> self-regulation. This creates tension.
- Social domain theory
Discrepancies in personal vs others domain issues
Assumption ‘shared environment’ = within each family, the same processes are at play for all
parent-child dyads. But: family systems theory, all connections differ!
Parental differential treatment (PDT). Parent-adolescent relationship as unshared
environment.
Conflict frequency with parents in families with 2+ children.
Why learning from experience? Better coping skills and new conflict resolution strategies.
Areas of disagreement already resolved for 2nd-born. All motivated to avoid the stress of
conflict with 1st-born. So, the conflict with the first born is the worst.
Spill over is also possible, so the conflict takes place between all children at the same time.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller sophiefarkass. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.50. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
