Parents and Adolescents Similarities in Their Values and Beliefs

Adolescence is considered the time from puberty to mid-20s. During this period, a person’s personality changes. There is a change in social, emotional, and cognitive development. Relationships are formed. Although adolescents may have different expectations and ideas than their parents, they are some similarities when it comes to social, religious, political, and economic issues. The family is the most important for the development and building of a youth’s personality. According to Levine (1988), the goal is for their children to develop beliefs and values that meet with the demands of society. Parents believe that adolescents will adopt the values that they themselves believe are important and will make those values their own. (Dudley, 1986). Parent-child relationships differ according to the age of the child. In adolescence, parent-child relations relate to social roles and cultural values with individual values and social values interconnected. (Trommsdorff, 2020). Adolescents who are emotionally close to their parents are usually having the same opinions and decisions. (Bao et al. , 1999). Children usually have similar religious values as their parents, e. g. , the acceptance of God. (Willits & Crider, 1989). Parents have more influence on children when it comes to religion if they both have the same religious preferences. According to social learning theory, behaviors are usually maintained into adulthood. (Dudley, 1986). According to this theory, where parents can transfer their values to their children, it is expected that adolescents will develop the same values as their parents. Adolescents who accept and copy their parents’ values and tend to be happier and more accepting than other adolescents who oppose their parent’s values. (Nelsen, 1981). Furthermore, in an experiment that conducted in the United States for the Columbia Broadcasting System, differences were found between college students and their parents and no college students and their parents. There is a greater similarity between parents and adolescents who are college students than there is for nonstudents. (Niemi, Danforth et al. , 1978). College students tend to have the same social and political values as their parents as non-students. According to research, the way adolescents perceive things and interact with their parents differs from culture to culture. There are differences between global cultural systems. For example, East Asia differs from Europe in how children respond to their parents. In East Asia, adolescents have more supportive behavior from their parents and a stronger relationship. European cultures are more individualistic cultures. In collectivist society such as Asian, the relationship between parents and adolescents has something to do with harmony. (Trommsdorff, 2020). Depending, on the type of society, parental behavior is viewed differently. In a traditional society, the same parental behavior may be seen as supportive, while in a modernized society may be seen as restrictive. Adolescents from traditional cultural contexts do not feel the need to distance themselves from their parents. They accept their demands and follow their value system. (Trommsforff, 2020). Daughters more easily form the same beliefs with their parents if their parents talk about them or they both have the same values. A daughter is more likely to adopt her parent’s beliefs if she understands that they are important for them. (Okagaki & Bevis, 1999). Parents express that their goal is to help their children develop personally and to be successful. Both parents and youth seek to achieve autonomy and relatedness. (Tamis-LeMonda &Way et al. , 2008). In many societies, an adolescent’s environment is changing due to rapid changes in culture. Adolescents not only have to face personal changes but also changes in the home environment. Parents try to create a healthy environment that promotes independence and builds self-esteem. This helps adolescents establish a healthy relationship not only with their parents but also with the school or even the work environment. (Friedman, 1989). Parenting aims at academic self-efficacy and social effectiveness of adolescents. Parents who. encourage and support their child are role models that the adolescent wants to emulate. (Yap & Ehrman, 2016). Adolescents easily imitate their parental values and beliefs when the home environment is warm, and the adolescent sees parents as playing a positive role in their lives. Early adolescence is a crucial period when children begin to make decisions. Therefore, parents need to be helpful during this time as adolescents begin to explore different dimensions of their personalities. (Jodi & Malanchuck et al. , 2001). Teens struggle to be independent while still depending on their parents. Parents struggle with the dilemma of their child either responding normally or being negatively influenced by their friends. There is a parent and peer influence scale that provides a tool by which teenagers and young adults are influenced by their parents. This scale helps to assess their relationship or any other problematic influences. (Werner-Wilson, 2000). A Cross-societal study found that parents higher in the social system tended to place a higher value on self-direction while parents from the lower social system considered obedience to be more important. Parents who value self-direction are more likely to believe that effective parenting involves giving their child the freedom to explore ideas and attitudes rather than being attentive. (Tudje & Hogan et al. , 2000). Boys and girls perceive their parents as wanting to find safety and security. They believe their parents are willing to give them the independence they desire. Adolescents accept the values their parents instill to them. Parents must be willing to encourage responsibility for their children. It is believed that the values of parents and adolescents are nearly identical at the end of the transition to adulthood. There is a belief that adolescents acquire the same moral and cultural orientation in late adolescence before adulthood. (Barni & Ranieri et al. , 2011). Girls tend to imitate their parental values more than boys; they accept their parents’ socialization values more than boys. This it is explained by the fact that girls are more willing to imitate others. Boys, on the other hand are more likely to be encouraged to develop their identity and set themselves apart from other opinions. When children believe that they have similar values to their parents, they are more willing to accept their parent’s values and priorities. Young people perceptions will guide their decisions and behaviors. When there is a strong relationship between the parent and the child, there is also acceptance. A supportive family increases acceptance of their values because it promotes security and understanding. (Barni & Ranieri et al. , 2011). Parents influence the beliefs of their children. Older adolescents perceive that their religious beliefs are like those of their parents. It is argued that some adolescents are more influenced by a single parent when belief systems differ from each other. Their beliefs change due to the need for more independence and curiosity. (Rew &Wong et al. , 2007). To conclude, each parenting style has a strong influence on the personality of the adolescent. Parents raising their children will try different approaches to create a healthy relationship in the family and pass on their values and beliefs to their children. Adolescents are more likely to imitate the decisions and opinions of their parents as they were expected to do when they see that their parents are playing a positive role in their lives.