Varieties of socialization goals: a qualitative study of Palestinian mothers from different socio-economic backgrounds

This study examined diversity in the socialization goals of Palestinian mothers from different educational and socioeconomic backgrounds from the perspective of (Kagitçibasi, C. (1996). The autonomous-relational self. European Psychologist, 1(3), 180–186. Kagitçibasi, C. (2005). Autonomy and relatedness in cultural context: Implications for self and family. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 36(4), 403–422 Kagitçibasi, C. (2012). Sociocultural change and integrative syntheses in human development: Autonomous-related self and social–cognitive competence. Child Development Perspectives, 6(1), 5–11) Family Change model, which proposes that societal changes due to globalization can promote the development of autonomous-relational selves. Purposeful-convenience sampling was used to recruit twelve urban Arab mothers of first grade children enrolled in public and private schools to capture a variety of parent education levels. The first author interviewed each mother about her socialization goals and analyzed interviews thematically. One main finding was that mothers who had at least a Bachelor’s degree focused more on goals related to self-maximization, particularly in relation to choosing a career, thriving, and being highly successful. Mothers with less formal education themselves had education as a goal in itself and valued employment for their children with an emphasis on stability of income and comfort. Both groups of mothers reported goals related to decency, including ‘avoiding illicit behaviors,’ having morals, and treating others well. Collectivism and individualism were both present in the socialization goals of Palestinian mothers, which supported the development of autonomous-relational selves.