According to a latest study published in the Journal of Adolescence, even when one reaches adulthood, the formative years don't stop and the actions and lifestyle of the family continue to influence whether or not young adults embrace their ethnicity and take pride in their roots.
When young adults (age group 18-30 years) were studied, it was seen that those whose families continue to teach them about their ethnic background had a greater sense of ethnic identity. Also, individuals whose families actively shared cultural customs and traditions with them, for example celebrating cultural festivals like Chinese New Year etc, reported feeling more attached to their ethnic group and spent more time exploring their heritage.
These results highlight the fact that cultural education is an important aspect of parenting. The influence of the family continues to shape young people's ethnic identity even beyond adolescence. Over 200 adults between the ages of 18 and 30, including Asian Americans, Latinos, white individuals and those of mixed ethnicity were studied, and it was proved that early adulthood is a critical time for identity development.
Psychologists are interested in how ethnic identity is formed since research has associated a strong sense of ethnic identity with greater life satisfaction and decreased depression.
The study found that the family's role in communicating cultural practices and traditions had a greater influence on young adults' exploration of their ethnicity irrespective of whether they adopted values associated with their ethnic group.
The results also suggest that the relationship between the family's influence and ethnic identity is more pronounced for females than males. This is consistent with a previous research suggesting that parents tend to focus on passing on cultural traditions to daughters more than sons.
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