| Author: | Ng, Wai-ngan |
| Title: | An exploratory study on different parenting and adolescents' coping in Hong Kong |
| Degree: | M.A. |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Subject: | Parent and teenager -- China -- Hong Kong Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Applied Social Sciences |
| Pages: | 125, [5] leaves : ill. ; 30 cm |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The purpose of the study is to understand how parents with different parenting styles handle their difference and how their adolescent children cope with the difference. The research questions are : 1) How the parents with different parenting style handle their different viewpoints on parenting in Hong Kong? 2) How the parents with different parenting style guide the adolescents to address life challenges in Hong Kong? 3) What is the adolescents' appraisal towards different parenting styles between the parents? 4) How the adolescents cope with the different parenting styles in Hong Kong? My study mainly adopt "Structural Family Perspective" and complimented by the concepts of "Family Communication Patterns Model" to analyse the data. Structural Family Perspective perceives the interaction pattern of the parents and the children is bi-directional and in circularity. Parental teamwork can help to give a clear guidance to the adolescents and they can develop adaptive behaviors. On the contrary, the poor parental teamwork offers poor and confused guidance to the adolescents and they usually cope with maladaptive behaviors. Family Communication Patterns broadens the understanding on the communication patterns among family members especially father-child communication is different with mother-child communication. The communication patterns and the messages sent by the parents can cause effect on the adolescents. In the present study, the findings reveal parents with different parenting styles in the family can also offer appropriate guidance despite they have cooperation and work as a team. There were 3 patterns of teamwork. However, not all the teamwork patterns attain the aim of supporting like a team. It was because in one team, father was the dominator, he did not have a thorough discussion with his wife on how to solve the son's problem. In the second team, father only backup mother to talk to the daughter. He did not accompany mother to talk to the daughter. Only the third team could fulfil the aim of teamwork. This pair of parents called the conjoint family meeting to solve the adolescent problems. Both the father and mother, and even the son attended the meeting. The parents did not argue but supported each other in the meeting. Base on the above 3 types of teamwork, the son in the first team would only discuss the problems with father as he knew father was dominated the parental team. In the second team, the daughter would only discuss her problems with mother as she knew mother was the one who mainly disciplined her. Only the son in the conjoint family meeting would attain to both the parents as he perceived they were having intense cooperation among themselves. Another two pair of parents did not cooperate to act as a team. They just use their own style of parenting to discipline the children. One pair even competite to get the disciplinary power. Children in these families coped with maladaptive behaviors such as escape the situation, going out of the family or forming alliance with one powerful parental figure. It will be difficult that all parents in the same family adopt the same parenting style or use consistent parenting. The parents with different parenting styles can also minimize the negative on the adolescent children if they can cooperate and support among themselves like a team. Adolescents will develop positive and adaptive coping behaviors. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b15417839.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 3.44 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Copyright Undertaking
As a bona fide Library user, I declare that:
- I will abide by the rules and legal ordinances governing copyright regarding the use of the Database.
- I will use the Database for the purpose of my research or private study only and not for circulation or further reproduction or any other purpose.
- I agree to indemnify and hold the University harmless from and against any loss, damage, cost, liability or expenses arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized usage.
By downloading any item(s) listed above, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the copyright undertaking as stated above, and agree to be bound by all of its terms.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/1048