NCJ Number
224243
Journal
Journal of Adolescent Research Volume: 23 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2008 Pages: 611-641
Date Published
September 2008
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the conversational interaction between highly religious youth and their parents regarding their faith.
Abstract
Findings suggest that when parent-adolescent religious conversations are youth centered, the emotional experience is more positive for parents and adolescents than when they are parent centered. Parents from both traditional and progressive faith communities reported that they understood the value of transactional conversation processes over a more hierarchical, preachy, or parent-centered approach. This study sought to build on previous research regarding parent-child religious conversations in order to explore the transactional processes of these conversations. Variations in conversational processes are also summarized in a conceptual model. The work employed qualitative analyses of interviews with highly religious parents and adolescents representing the Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) from New England and Northern California to minimize the possibility that results were due to geographical factors. The sample consisted of 57 married couples, 32 from New England and 25 from California, along with their 77 adolescent children who ranged from 10 to 20 years of age. Of the sample, 84 percent were White, and 16 percent were ethnic minorities. Data were drawn from interviews conducted between 2002 and 2004. Figure, tables, and references