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Kevin Yu Z.
ENGL 133
Peters, Jason J.
3/8/2017
What is really the factor that causes the conflict between parents and children? People
study and analyze them for a long time. Some of them might say that conflict between family
was either the parents or the childrens fault. This is not about the conflict due to immaturity; it
usually occurs during parents middle ages and childrens adolescent period, which could relate
to most families. When either one generation lived in a turbulence era, it might tend to have more
collisions with the others. Interparental conflicts are caused not by individual flaws but a rapid
Conflict happens to many families, which one thing were in common. A concept called
cultural gap was commonly used to relate to this very particular issue. Well known American
socialist, Kinsley Davis, said in his book, The Sociology of Parent-Youth Conflict:
tends to increase parent-youth conflict, for within a fast changing social order the
The reason parents and children would have conflict is because of the lack of communication or
miscommunication. This is not ethnic nor regional. It in fact happened though out the world in
history, when theres a rapid social change. This would no longer cause by individual factors, but
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is a common issue. The majority had experienced the conflict; however, some havent. So, there
must be something big happening intergeneration for certain groups. Since parents are having a
different set of ideology than their children are having, communication would be ten time harder.
The problem can be very serious. The whole country would be affect. As we commonly
known, the World War II had influenced many countries. Political civil rights and anti-war
movements happened a few decades after WWII in Germany. The major problem was the issue
of treating WWII veterans and modifying modern education. According to the article, Nazi
Education, Nazi Germany developed a special set of educational system for war children, so that
the next generation can one day serve the army. Under the system, children were shaped to be
loyal following Hitler. It makes sense for the earlier generation to believe it, and holding on to
certain political views even after the war. Even within individual family during anti-war
movement, Germany 1960s, the views create tension between parents who believe in war-
beneficial and children who believe in anti-war. We can picture a young adult determined to join
the movement regardless of their parents warning. Tension continues until the end of 1970s.
This kind of rapid change in politics and living environment precipitate the conflicts.
The differences between the two generation change the outcome of people intended to
have. Parents they mostly have the same goal, which is to have their own children be happy
(StrengthsMining). This include being able to enjoy the world as they succeed in life. Children
being outstanding is not always the case. Since the parents care so much about the kids, they tend
to use their old way to doing, pushing the children harder in many of the aspects. And thats
when conflicts occur. Things go hard when come to educating kids. Many parents dont know
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where to start to approach their children. The hesitation here and there might cause a huge
separation between both. Under conclusion of the journal article Aging Parents and Adult
Children, it said, Several areas of research have been studied by too many investigators for too
many years. There should be no doubt by now about whether older people are alienated from
their families (Mancini and Blieszner 287). Since the older parents usually are the ones cant
keep up the pace of the world, they slowly feel like losing value from the families or the society.
A fourth gap is that the interpersonal, social-psychological aspects of these relationships have
not been adequately connected with the social and societal context in which they function
(Mancini and Blieszner 287). For those families with a huge culture gap between generation, the
parents would be very helpless. Because of the gap, the parents would understand what their
children had to said. Parents just dont get why their children are so resist to the doctrine they
believe is right. Parents have their old practice that lead to success, where the kids used their own
Time created another brand-new world for the younger generation. Kids adopt thing fast,
whether their parents think its right or not. Especially for teenagers, they tend to experience new
ideas or things. The stages significantly influence personality development, with five of them
period is the time for ones to really identify themselves. Sometimes, they might be confused;
sometimes they would take a stand and strongly defend it. Thats when they will argue with their
parents for they belief. The generation gap, again, causes tension between two somewhat
different world views. Under many circumstances, youth are being very idealized, partly
because they take working ideals literally (Davis 527). Using their optimistic mindset,
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Children tried to change their parents old fashion way of living. For certain children, they dont
understand why parents call them stubborn when the parents are the ones really being stubborn.
Children might just shut their mouth and ear, completely cut off the relation with parents. The
world views they have is not yet mature but real to them. The nature of adolescent masked
People react differently, according to their prior experiences, without realizing why. In
2014, a major movement took place in Hong Kong, the special administrative regions of China.
The Occupation Movement, also known as Umbrella Revolution, was remarkable (Wikipedia). It
reminded all Chinese how people still separated under the policy of One Country, Two
Systems, a policy keep Hong Kong citizens under the Constitution of China but can develop
other regulation. During the occupation, anger raised between people even within the community
of Hong Kong. In some households, the last generation still drowning in the dread of Chinese
Cultural Revolution and Democracy Movement of China, 1970s to 1980s. Chinese describe
Chinese Culture Revolution as ten years of turbulence under the ruler ship of Chairman Mao.
People set up public criticization and struggle session. Many democrats, capitalist roader,
intellectuals and other disloyalties were torture and died. Most Chinese dont even want to think
of it or refer to that time. This was the main reason most parents wont let their children
participate in the movements. More extremely the parents will disinherit their children because
of that, hoping their children would listen. But the history seems always repeat itself.
Like political views, living environment would also influence differently for different age
people, which could be called Acculturation. Acculturation differences may be associated with
more intense conflict because different levels of acculturation may signify less proficiency in
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English on the part of parents and less proficiency in Chinese on the part of children (Costigan
and Dokis). The research paper, Relations Between Parent-Child Acculturation Differences and
Adjustment Within Immigrant Chinese Families, explained a huge part of barrier between parents
and children is language, whether of the origin or meaning. Regardless of the Chinese parents
who dont speak English, even they do, they are still not on the same page. Time created a gap,
making it hard to hold a closed relationship. Both parents and children entered an endless loop
that blaming each other for tiny problems. Conflict grow bigger and bigger as we will predict.
Unfortunately, there isnt a definite solution for parental conflicts. But people can fix it
by doing their parts. Since we know there is existence of love between parents and children
during the fights, thing can be better when compromised. If ones can truly understand the
others behavior why did they act or react a certain way, they can have a more meaningful, less
the world truly understand the cause of the conflicts, fixing it is not hard.
Work cited:
Mancini, Jay A., and Rosemary Blieszner. "Aging Parents and Adult Children: Research Themes
in Intergenerational Relations." Journal of Marriage and the Family 51.2 (1989): 275. Web. 28
Feb. 2016.
Davis, Kingsley. "The Sociology of Parent-Youth Conflict." American Sociological Review 5.4
(1940): 523. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
"What Parents Really Want for Their Children." StrengthsMining. Ed. Shaunigan. WordPress, 24
July 2015. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
Sly. "Personality Development." Encyclopedia of Children's Health. Advameg, Inc., n.d. Web. 08
Mar. 2017.
Trueman, C. N. "Nazi Education." History Learning Site. The History Learning Site, 16 Aug.
2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.
Costigan, Catherine L., and Daphn P. Dokis. "Relations Between Parent?Child Acculturation
Differences and Adjustment Within Immigrant Chinese Families." Child Development 77.5
(2006): 1252-267. Web. 27 Feb. 2016.
"Cultural Revolution." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.
"2014 Hong Kong Protests." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 08 Mar.
2017.
"Chinese Democracy Movement." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 08
Mar. 2017.