Interaction goals, parenting, and language brokering: Understanding Latino/a mother-adolescent communication and relational satisfaction
Abstract
The current study examined 100 dyads of primarily Spanish-speaking (predominantly Mexican-heritage) mothers and their bilingual children (age 11 to 18) who have acted as a language broker for the mother (i.e., when the child culturally or linguistically mediates between the mother and an English speaker). Language brokering provides a unique situational context to examine communication theories and can benefit from communication research, as little research has examined mother-child communication during brokering interactions. Multiple goals theory (Caughlin, 2010) was used as a framework to create language brokering goal typologies for children and mothers. As posited by multiple goals theory, mother and child perceptions of their own and the other person's language brokering goals influenced their relational satisfaction with each other. The current study served to extend multiple goals theory in several ways. First, mothers and children were often inaccurate in perceiving each other's goal tendencies, a relationship that has not been previously examined. Second, the current study indicated that actor-effects (perceptions of one's own and partner goal tendencies) were influential on relational satisfaction for both mothers and children. Third, partner-effects may not be as salient as direct effects, but actor-partner interaction effects were relevant for both mother and child relational satisfaction. The current study has both theoretical and practical application. Scholars need to examine dyadic data to fully theorize how goals impact relational outcomes. Practically, mothers and children who do not attend to situationally-relevant goals (e.g., for the mother attending to the child's face, for the child respecting the mother and English-speaker, and acting culturally appropriate) during language brokering interactions may experience negative relational repercussions.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Wilson, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Communication
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