Projects / Programmes
Communicative and authority relationships between parents and youth
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.09.00 |
Social sciences |
Psychology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S260 |
Social sciences |
Psychology |
youth, adolescence, family, interpersonal communication, rights, duties, authority
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
22286 |
PhD Metka Kuhar |
Psychology |
Head |
2007 - 2008 |
631 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The project is concerned with the characteristics of parents-young people communication and with the negotiation of young people’s rights and duties. It starts from the thesis that parents-children relationships have democratized. They are more and more marked by equality, mutual respect, autonomy, decision-making on the basis of communication although they are in some ways adversarial due to the differences in power and status. Ideally, there are constant, open negotiations on young people's rights and duties. The key hypothesis is: the more dialogical the parents-young people communication is the more efficient and satisfactory the process of negotiating the young people's rights and duties within families. The first part of the project is the exploration of the dialogical properties of communication between parents and young people and their dialogical communicative competence. In the second part of the project I will explore the parents' and young people's conceptions of young people's rights and duties in the different phases of adolescence, in the postadolescence and in the young adulthood in the framework of the cultural theory of rights and duties in human development (Finkel and Moghaddam, 2005). The focus will be given to the following domains: personal issues (e.g. the state of one's body, dressing, choice of free time activities, music etc.), social (friends; romantic relationships; family relationships), prudential issues (e.g. smoking, drinking, having sex), education, work, choice of social activities. Young people and their both parents will answer semi-structured questionnaire on communication characteristics and semi-structured questionnaire (with scenarios) on perception of young people's rights and duties. The research will focus on the following phases: preadolescence and early adolescence (9-15 years), middle and late adolescence (16-19 years), postadolescence (20-25 years) and young adulthood (26-30 years). The sample will contain 240 young people, 240 mothers and 240 fathers. The research will fill the existing gaps in the youth studies, life course studies and developmental psychology. It will contribute to the research field dealing with parenting, parental authority and parents-children communication. It will further develop the cultural theory of rights and duties. Understanding and knowledge of characteristics of communication patterns and negotiations on young people's rights and duties is crucial for young people themselves, parents and for all who are professionally dealing with young people.
Significance for science
The study is relevant from the viewpoint of established youth studies and life-course studies, as well as from the viewpoint of social psychology, developmental psychology and the psychology of communication. In particular, the research has potential to contribute to the following existing research frameworks: the cultural theory of rights and duties (Finkel, Moghaddam), parenting styles approach (Baumrind), social-domains approach (Turiel, Smetana), parenting dimensions (Steinberg, Barber) and family communication patterns (Ritchie, Fitzpatrick, Koerner). In cooperation with professor David Ritchie I have adapted the family communication patterns (conversation and conformity orientation) and psychological control questionnaires to the Slovenian situation. I have extended these lines of research to the post-socialist context (Slovenia). In general, my studies refresh the debates on topics I deal with from the post-socialist perspective. The very fact that the analysis is based on data from a Slovenian sample promises to add to the knowledge that largely relies on studies from North America and Western Europe. My work has added to the explanation of changes evident in Slovenian culture, with conclusions and implications extending beyond the local context. The research contributed also to a more detailed knowledge of relatively poorly investigated developmental phases of post-adolescence and young adulthood. The results show that post-adolescents and young adults are very dependent on their parents, i.e. non-autonomous in various areas.
Results suggest the significance of the parental authority concept use and the need for its conceptualisation along with its different aspects. From the scientific viewpoint is the model of parental authority is especially relevant. The results of the quantitative study on the sample of 194 families prove the role of authority style concept as the designation of the communicative way of parental authority enforcement.
In methodological sense, the use of vignette method needs to be pinpointed, since this method has been rarely utilized in the studies on parenting/family relationships although it is especially valuable for sensitive areas of inquiry which may not be readily assessable through other means or at topics where the probability for getting individually and socially desired answers are high if using more conventional methods. Methodologically innovative has been also the use of semantic differential technique to allow a subtle way of testing the perception of the child-parent relationships. The measurement instrument was prepared after the pilot study.
The research project will also contribute to science by means of:
• personal strong embeddedness in higher education activities developing the »research university« with the direct transfer of research results to education (building and development of scientific disciplines: the life-course studies, the methods of youth work, the psychology of communication);
• personal intense participation in the international scientific community (publication of articles in referential journals, active participation at international scientific conferences, guest lecturing at foreign universities, participation in international research and seminar projects);
• public policy advising
• the assertion of science in Slovenia and internationally: intense co-operation with the media, evaluation activities, publishing activities, public lectures and presentations of the research work.
Significance for the country
Research keeps continuity and deepens the existing findings in youth studies field (e.g. Youth 93 in Ule and Miheljak, 1995; Youth 95 in Ule et al, 1996; Youth 98 in Ule et al, 2000; Youth 2000 in Miheljak, ed., 2002). Namely, after the year 2000, the youth studies in Slovenia are missing. This represents a huge stagnancy of the field which is considered as very relevant and has been extremely propulsive in other European countries and USA. Research of youth is extraordinarily important: 1) due to formativity of the age of youth, 2) due to the predictive value of social trends exhibited by this group, 3) due to the decline of relative number of young people with respect to the other social cohorts, what makes this group precious from the viewpoint of the intergenerational consensus in the future, 4) due to a number of objective problems related to growing up, and above all to the transition into adulthood, 5) for the further development of the political culture of a certain state.
Ever since the early 1990s, youth research in Slovenia has been revealing truly radical changes in the life trajectories of individuals and in transitions between individual life stages: youth has been extended, and the patterns of transition to adulthood have become more plural and no longer predictable. One of the most noticeable youth trends has become a prolongation of young people’s cohabitation with their parents. This research extensively studied the interpersonal determinants of delayed emancipation of youngsters which a very relevant social and political issue in Slovenia which leads also to a low fertility rate. A prolonged dependence on parents cannot be interpreted as merely a necessary survival strategy, but as the result of personal determinants such as exceptionally supportive and relatively high quality relationships between parents and young people. However, research evidence importantly pointed out also the paternalistic and infantilizing side effect of parents-young people relationships in Slovenia as one of the main factors in delayed transition to adulthood. Research thus offers bases for planning strategies, documents and policies in the different areas, e.g. youth, families, parenting.
Results are being brought into practice in different ways. Besides being academic lecturer at graduate and postgraduate level and mentoring diplomas, masters’ degrees and doctoral dissertations, I am a regular collaborator, reviewer and evaluator in the areas of sector policies led or coordinated by specific ministries and international institutions. I am consulting the following institutions or cooperating with them:
• Partnership between Council of Europe and European Commission in the youth field
• Council of Europe: I am a correspondent of the “Network of experts on youth research and information” and correspondent of the “European Knowledge Database”
• Office for Youth of Republic of Slovenia
• Office for Youth of City of Ljubljana
• Ministry of Labor, Family and Social Affairs of Rep. Slovenia.
Furthermore, I am actively involved in shaping the strategies and documents in the area of youth policy. Concretely, results contributed to promotion of campaign on positive parenting against corporal punishment of children run by the Slovenian Information office of the Council of Europe and to preparation of Law for enforcement prohibition of corporal punishment of children.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
