CULTURE AND CLASS INFLUENCES ON ANGLE AND PUERTO-RICAN MOTHERS BELIEFS REGARDING LONG-TERM SOCIALIZATION GOALS AND CHILD-BEHAVIOR

These 2 studies examine culture and socioeconomic status as simultaneo us possible sources for group differences in mothers' beliefs regardin g desirable and undesirable long-term socialization goals and child be havior. In Study 1, 100 mothers of young toddlers aged 12-24 months fr om 5 sociocultural groups participated: middle- and lower-class Angle, middle- and lower-class island Puerto Rican, and lower-class migrant Puerto Rican. Results indicate that culture and socioeconomic status c ontribute independently to group differences, but that cultural effect s appear to be stronger. Study 2 examined cultural differences in perc eptions of behaviors using middle-class Angle and Puerto Rican mothers only. The findings support those of Study 1, suggesting that Angle an d Puerto Rican mothers place differential value on the constructs of S elf-Maximization and Proper Demeanor, even when socioeconomic status i s controlled for. The findings of these studies have important implica tions for the culturally sensitive study of the relation between paren tal beliefs and behaviors.