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Fluid authority – A qualitative exploration of manifestations of parental authority in Slovenia
Metka Kuhar
Full text (pdf) | Views: 28 | Written in Slovene. | Published: May 11, 2010
Abstract: The aim of this article is to investigate how parental authority works in families in Slovenia. We examined in what ways is parental authority asserted through parental demands, expectations and rules about adolescents' freedoms and limitations through parental control as well as sanctioning. Secondly, we investigated how do adolescents and post-adolescents react to parental authority claims and measures. The study shows that parental authority is accommodated in ways that comply with the general culture of intergenerational negotiations. Parents develop and use predominantly direct, subtle influence strategies which are being legitimized by children. This is especially true for the investigated domain of school performance with prevailing congruent parental and children's expectations. In household chores domain, where rules are not interiorized by children, parental authority is being asserted in more direct, quazi-democratic ways.
Keywords: authority, communication, adolescents, parents
