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Understanding and Addressing Parent-Adolescent Conflict in Asian American Families

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Asian American Parenting

Abstract

There is a need to better understand the intergenerational and cultural dynamics of parent-adolescent conflict in Asian American families. In this chapter, we provide a synthesis and critique of theories, as well as methodologies, on Asian American family conflicts. We adopt the embedded contexts model (Szapocznik and Kurtines, Hisp J Behav Sci 6(4), 317–344, 1993), which emphasizes interactions between typical intergenerational conflict and conflict due to cultural differences, to better understand family conflicts in Asian American families. We further critique empirically supported intervention strategies for addressing family conflict. At the family-system level, we review the literature on culturally grounded interventions and culturally adapted interventions. At the individual level, we review the coping strategies in addressing family conflict based on protective and risk factor considerations. We conclude with findings from a pilot study on the application of an expressive writing intervention to address Asian American family conflict.

Sam is a second-generation Vietnamese American graduating high school senior who meets with the school counselor to discuss ongoing conflicts with his parents. Sam wants to pursue a career in art education, but his parents are unhappy with his plans to become an art teacher. As small business owners who never attended college, they want Sam to pursue a prestigious career in engineering which will provide job security and a high salary. His parents also remind him about his obligations to care for them when they get older, so it is important for him to get a well-paying job. Sam feels like his parents are putting too much pressure on him and are expecting him to live out their dreams, not his own. He is having difficulty sleeping and is not putting in much effort at school, even procrastinating on his college applications.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This pilot study was first presented during the poster session at the 2010 Asian American Psychological Association Annual Convention.

  2. 2.

    Adjusted standardized residuals (ASRs) can be interpreted like a z-score, with values above or below 1.96 indicating significance. A positive value indicates that a cell frequency occurs more often than the expected count, whereas a negative value indicates that it occurs less often than expected. An ASR value near zero indicates no difference from the expected cell value.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Xiang Zhou, Christine S. Wu & Richard M. Lee

  2. Counseling & Psychological Services, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Mary Joyce D. Juan

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  1. Xiang Zhou
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  2. Christine S. Wu
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  3. Mary Joyce D. Juan
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  4. Richard M. Lee
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Correspondence to Xiang Zhou .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Yoonsun Choi

  2. School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Hyeouk Chris Hahm

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Zhou, X., Wu, C.S., Juan, M.J.D., Lee, R.M. (2017). Understanding and Addressing Parent-Adolescent Conflict in Asian American Families. In: Choi, Y., Hahm, H. (eds) Asian American Parenting. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63136-3_7

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