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Emerging Adulthoods: A Microcultural Approach to Viewing the Parent-Child Relationship

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Parents and Caregivers Across Cultures

Abstract

Because the cultural nature of emerging adulthood (EA) is often neglected, there is a lack of understanding of the sociocultural variations – the many emerging adulthoods – that exist. In this chapter, the authors draw upon Vélez-Agosto et al. (Perspect Psychol Sci 12:900–910, 2017) theory to argue the necessity of viewing emerging adulthood(s) from a micro-cultural lens. Using such a lens posits that parent-emerging adult child relationships and parenting practices during EA are cultural in nature. After providing support for their argument, the authors then present two initial applications of how to empirically apply a micro-cultural lens to parent-EA child relationships. The first application is a study that uses structural equation modeling to understand the relation between filial responsibility and well-being and how this relation varies across US ethnic-racial groups, in EA college students. The second application examines emerging adulthood(s) in urban, middle-class India by using concept mapping to understand the range of important life choices EAs in India make and the role their parents play in making such choices. The chapter then concludes with suggestions for researchers on how to implement a micro-cultural approach in their work.

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  • Arnett, J. J. (2011). Emerging adulthood(s): The cultural psychology of a new life stage. In L. A. Jensen (Ed.), Bridging cultural and developmental approaches to psychology: New syntheses in theory, research, and policy (pp. 255–275). New York: Oxford University Press.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA

    Amanda N. Faherty & Deeya Mitra

Authors
  1. Amanda N. Faherty
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  2. Deeya Mitra
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Correspondence to Amanda N. Faherty .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Science, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, USA

    Brien K. Ashdown

  2. Hiatt School of Psychology, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA

    Amanda N. Faherty

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Faherty, A.N., Mitra, D. (2020). Emerging Adulthoods: A Microcultural Approach to Viewing the Parent-Child Relationship. In: Ashdown, B.K., Faherty, A.N. (eds) Parents and Caregivers Across Cultures. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35590-6_14

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