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Christine Nguyen

Professor Rodrick

English 115

October 19, 2017

Influential Parents

As adaptors of society, we take in everything that is around us. How we talk, behave, and

act is purely based on what we see from other people acting in different situations. From birth,

we take in what actions our parents do. When our relatives or family friends tell us, she acts just

like her mother, or he takes after his father, it indicates that we are reflections of our parents.

Being around our parents can often influence our personalities in ways that their values, ideals,

and style of parenting can be shown through our actions.

Sandra L. Hanson and Emily Gilbert, authors of the journal article, Family, Gender, and

Science Experiences: The Perspective of Young Asian Americans, talk about the life of Asian

Americans, and the pressures they have to fit in social norms of Asia. In this part of the article,

the actions of a tiger mom, a mom who controls their child by filling their schedules with

academic activities, seem to be a stereotype that has gone around in the Asian community. Tiger

moms are controlling in the sense that they want to do whats best for their children in the

competitive society to get a good STEM-based job. Although they believe what is good for their

child, their child might not feel the same. Some question what this phenomenon will mean for

the second or third generation Asian American who may view their experience with a tiger

mother as negative and psychologically damaging. Extreme parental pressures may, according

to some, lead to psychological problems. (Hanson 331-332). Ideals that our parents follow,

such as a tiger mom to her child, have a major impact on what we find important. In this case, to
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keep up with the schedule their mom has made for her child, the child would have to to give up

hobbies and interests they have, whether it is in the arts or literature. In the same sense, victims

and non-victims of tiger moms alike seem to have the same feelings towards having to do well in

math and science. Researchers have found that young Asian Americans are keenly aware of

these stereotypes and have difficulties living up to them. Many Asian Americans reject these

stereotypes and find them untrue and potentially damaging. (Hanson, 332). What our parents

may find important to us can become what we need to find as a priority. The stereotypes that are

given upon them that were placed by parents wanting their child to do well in the STEM

departments can give the child a lot of pressure. Needing to live up to an expectation that our

parents have given us can later on give the child the mentality that if they dont do well enough,

theyre not good enough.

The different attitudes children have to their parents can show how they are being treated

at home. Lessard did a study on parental figures and how they influence their older adolescent

childs eating habits. The study was tested on two different factors, using persuasion such as

encouraging and informing their child about foods, and pressuring their child such as guilt

tripping and ridiculing about their food choices. They also observed what the outcomes of each

tactic being used with behavioral responses between the parent and adolescent. For adolescents

with low parental warmth and high levels of persuasion were associated with more negative

emotional and behavioral responses; persuasion had the opposite associations with high parental

warmth. when parents use more forceful pressure tactics to influence eating habits, adolecents

react negatively regardless of overall quality of the parent-adolescent relationship.. (Lessard).

Lessard tells us that the more encouraging and less harsh you are toward your child, you are

more likely to have a better relationship with them in the long run. Parents showing affection to
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their child as well as avoiding pressure tactics can not only have a lasting effect both parent and

adolescent, but can also improve their mental health, performance in school, and relationships

with their peers. Persuading with less parental warmth may seem like the parent is forcing their

child to change rather than sounding like they want to help them.

Elizabeth Gershoff, a psychologist and psychology professor at the University of Texas,

and Andrew Grogan-Kaylor, a professor of social work at the University of Michigan, questions

whether parents spanking their children to teach them discipline really does help childrens

behavior. Gershoff and Kaylor found that, The more children were spanked, the more

aggressive and antisocial they were. We also found that children who were spanked were more

likely to have mental health problems, problematic relationships with their parents and lower

cognitive ability. (Gershoff). Gershoff concludes her study with the statement that spanking

your child does more harm than good. Children who are spanked are more likely to show signs

of even more destructive behavior later on because they are taught that they can be disciplined

using violence. Therefore, children thinking that their parents can use violence (spanking) as the

method to get what they want.

Our identity is a reflection of not only our experiences from outdoors with the rest of

society, but also from inside the home, what we are taught to act like, and what we experience

from our parent growing up. Ones personality is influenced greatly by their parents actions and

all of their doings towards their child. Having a parent that cares too much about school and

grades may have their child to also want to excel in school and have good grades. Having a

parent that thinks treating reckless behavior with violence will have an even more destructive

behavior coming from their child. Having a parent that shows their child a lot of warmth and

affection may have their child to show the same attitude and have a positive outlook in life.
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Works Cited

Gershoff, Elizabeth, and Andrew Grogan-Kaylor. "The Evidence Shows that Spanking is Bad for

Kids." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2017. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context,

libproxy.csun.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BZVQLN902019565/O

VIC?u=csunorthridge&xid=1e87b921. Accessed 20 Oct. 2017. Originally published as

"Hard Evidence: Spanking Could Lead to Health Problems, Antisocial Behavior," The

Conversation, 11 May 2016.

Hanson, Sandra L., and Emily Gilbert. Family, Gender and Science Experiences: The

Perspective of Young Asian Americans. Race, Gender & Class, vol. 19, no. 3/4, 2012,

pp. 326347. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43497502.

Lessard, J., Greenberger, E. & Chen, C. J Youth Adolescence (2010) 39: 73. https://doi-

org.libproxy.csun.edu/10.1007/s10964-008-9376-6