Immigrants and the socialization of the self

Abstract

A distinction is often made between collectivistic and individualistic cultures. These cultures differ regarding parenting styles and socialization of the self. Recent years have seen ever-increasing immigration from non-Western countries to Western countries. Such immigration often involves a transition from collectivistic cultures to individualistic cultures. This results in a mismatch regarding parenting style, resulting in a specific type of parenting for immigrants. This article will discuss the consequences of immigrant parenting for the parental socialization of the self. It is proposed that immigrant parenting differs from parenting in the country of origin, as well as from parenting in the host culture. This results in the socialization of the autonomous-related self, atype of self characteristic of cultures in transition.