FELT OBLIGATION TOWARDS PARENTS IN MEXICAN-AMERICAN AND ANGLO-AMERICAN YOUNG-ADULTS

The present study compares self-reports of felt obligation towards par ents, cultural attitudes about family functioning and perceptions of f amily interactions in a sample of 100 Mexican-American and Anglo-Ameri can young adults, On average, Mexican-American men and women reported significantly higher levels of familism, more collectivist attitudes a nd more helping behavior in relationships with parents than did Anglo- Americans, while Angle respondents reported having more contact with s ocial systems outside the family system, Mexican-American young adults generally reported feeling significantly more obligated to avoid conf lict, provide assistance and strive for self-sufficiency in their rela tionships with parents than did Anglo-Americans. Cultural attitudes of familism and collectivism were related to reports of felt obligation for Mexican-American respondents but not for Anglo-American respondent s. Implications of results for family development theory are discussed .