Sensitive parenting as a cross-cultural ideal: sensitivity beliefs of Dutch, Moroccan, and Turkish mothers in the Netherlands

Abstract

The primary goal of this study is to test the hypothesis that beliefs about the ideal sensitive mother are similar across Dutch, Moroccan, and Turkish mothers living in the Netherlands. A total of 75 mothers with at least one child between the ages of six months and six years described their views about the ideal sensitive mother using the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (Pederson, Moran, & Bento, 1999). These views were highly similar within and across cultural and socio-economic groups. Nevertheless, family income fully mediated the relationship between ethnic background and sensitivity beliefs; income of minority mothers was lower which was in turn predictive of a lower sensitivity belief score. Our findings suggest that the main behavioral markers of sensitivity are valued by mothers from different cultural backgrounds. The role of socio-economic status in sensitivity beliefs is consistent with the Family Stress Model.

Keywords:

• maternal sensitivity
• beliefs
• culture
• socio-economic status

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their appreciation to David Pederson, Greg Moran, and Sandi Bento who supported this study by allowing the use of the MBQS. This research was supported by New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Co-operation in Europe (NORFACE) and by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO Spinoza).