Value similarity among grandparents, parents, and adolescent children: Unique or stereotypical?

Abstract

A core issue in family research on value transmission is the extent of value similarity between generations, similarity which can originate from the transmission process within the family and from the social-cultural context in which the family lives. The general aim of this three-generational study was to measure parent-child value similarity, removing the effect of the social-cultural context in order to uncover that value similarity that stems from the unique and specific relationship between members of a family. Participants were 381 Italian family triads (father, mother, and one adolescent child); for 257 families one grandmother was also involved. Subjects completed the Portrait Values Questionnaire. Findings empirically showed the strong interaction between family and social-cultural context in determining the level of value similarity.

Keywords:

• value similarity
• grandparents
• parents
• adolescents
• social-cultural context

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from the Fondazione Ispirazione Onlus, Treviso, Italy.

Notes

1. According to several studies on interpersonal relationship perceptions, the term stereotype is here not associated with a negative judgment of a social group, but refers to the typical or normative responses given by members of a group (Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006).

2. In this study, in order to minimize the level of commitment required by each family, only one grandparent of the adolescent was involved. As previous studies have shown that grandmothers are more involved in the socialization process of grandchildren than are grandfathers (Boon & Brussoni, 1996), the participation of the grandmother, rather than of the grandfather, was requested. In this way a numerous and homogeneous group of grandparents was collected.

3. No significant differences in demographic characteristics emerged between families (parents and adolescents) for which the grandmother was able to participate in the study and those for which no grandmother participated.