Parent-child value similarity and subjective well-being in the context of migration: An exploration

Abstract

Intergenerational value similarity has a different meaning for migrants and minorities compared to the majority society. Whereas high parent-child value similarity among majority families more likely indicates successful internalization of societal values, high intergenerational similarity among migrants may indicate a lack of social integration into the host society. The present paper links parent-adolescent value similarity among migrant/minority and majority families to subjective well-being in two societies, Germany and Israel (Total N = 977 families). Analyses assess intergenerational similarity on all values from the Schwartz value circumplex. Among majority groups intergenerational value similarity is a predictor of life satisfaction. In minority groups it is more so a low distance of a family's value preferences to the modal values of the majority group that predicts life satisfaction – but only in Israel.

Keywords:

• intergenerational value similarity
• mainstream values
• migrants
• Germany
• Israel

Notes

1. Israeli Arab families are a minority, but not a migrant minority. We take this into account by speaking of “migrant/minority families,” admitting that in sociological terms an equalization of the two is an oversimplification.

2. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/61/2/48631582.pdf

3. In a non-forced exploratory factor analysis, three factors emerged. Factors 2 and 3, however, had eigenvalues only very slightly above 1 (1.15/1.06) and only Factor 1 with an eigenvalue of 2.16 had a plausible loading pattern and the Scree plot suggested to interpret only the first factor.

4. The impact of other controls (age and gender) was tested separately in models not reported here – results regarding the effect of child-parent value similarity did not change to any substantial degree.