Understanding the Parent-child Relationships of Immigrant Families beyond the Study of Attachment, Warmth, and Cohesion

The study of parent-child relationships of immigrant families can inform our understanding of how interactions between the parent and child can help to shape family member’s acculturation experiences and well-being. However, the current conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement of parent-child relationships was primarily developed and validated with non-immigrant families, for whom cultural differences and issues of acculturation are not of relevance. This calls to attention the need to better understanding of how parent-child relationship is studied in immigrant families. The present review provides an analysis of some of the most frequently cited published, empirical studies on parent-child relationships of immigrant families (n = 10). Operational definitions, study design, measurement (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha), and results were coded. Results show that most published work defined parent-child relationship by the absence of family conflict, or related to attachment, warmth, and family cohesion, which are constructs that primarily stem from studies of non-immigrant families. Measurement tools used to assess parent-child relationship also varied widely and lacked cross-cultural validity. Accordingly, a theoretically-based and culturally-informed operational definition of parent-child relationship is offered. The development and application of a robust, consistently used, and culturally-sensitive tool to measure parent-child relationships of immigrant families is suggested. Recommendations outlined will allow for more systematic approach to study the parent-child relationship of immigrant families.