Mexican-Descent Mothers' Socialization of Kindness and Emotion

• In Event: Cultural Explorations of SEL

Abstract

Emotion socialization behaviors include how parents respond to, discuss, and support children’s emotions and predicts children’s social and emotional skills (Eisenberg, YEAR). Similarly, parental socialization influences how children learn about cultural values, beliefs, and norms related to kindness and emotions (Rogoff, YEAR). While the literature finds a strong association between parents’ emotion socialization behaviors and children’s social and emotional skills , less research has examined the cultural aspects of emotion and kindness and the beliefs that Mexican American parents have about emotions and kindness. In this qualitative study, Mexican American mothers were interviewed to learn more about their beliefs regarding emotions, kindness, and how they respond to their children’s emotions and encourage their children to be kind.

Authors

• Remi Torres, University of California - Los Angeles

• Maria Cruz Gutierrez, University of California - Los Angeles

• Sofia Helena GomezDe La Rosa, University of California - Los Angeles

• Nastassia Hajal, University of California - Los Angeles

• Jennie K. Grammer, University of Virginia