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Negotiation in the Family: Parental Authority and Adolescents’ Autonomy

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Fatherhood, Adolescence and Gender in Chinese Families

Part of the book series: Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life ((PSFL))

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Abstract

This chapter looks at the process of negotiation between fathers and daughters regarding girls’ personal lives, such as going out and making friends, use of Internet, and romantic relationships. Fathers were concerned about their daughters’ social activities and Internet use for their safety and any negative effect on the girls’ studies. Fathers used different strategies to control their daughters, such as making rules and guarding access to the Internet. Meanwhile, girls tried to get their own way, using such means as concealing information, giving late notice of their plans, or doing things surreptitiously. Neither the fathers nor their daughters approved of having romantic relationships during adolescence and neither felt comfortable talking about the issue, therefore communication and negotiation were often not possible to achieve.

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Xu, Q. (2016). Negotiation in the Family: Parental Authority and Adolescents’ Autonomy. In: Fatherhood, Adolescence and Gender in Chinese Families. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46178-0_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46178-0_7

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-46177-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-46178-0

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