Parental versus peer conformity among adolescents in secondary schools in Kisumu district
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Date
2012-04-24
Authors
Ochieng, Mary Goretty
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Abstract
The objective of this research were to:
i. Determine whether perceived peer influence overtakes perceived parental influence among adolescents on the pattern of their conformity behaviour.
ii. Determine whether adolescents will conform to peers even when their parents disapprove of their action.
iii. Investigate whether adolescents are parents conforming or peer conforming due to type of issue/situation, age, residential status of the respondent, geographical location of the school and gender.
The study was carried out on 312 randomly selected students from eight secondary schools which were also randomly selected from Kisumu District of Kenya. Four of these schools were urban and four were rural. Students were grouped into two age sets-14-15 year olds and 17-20 year olds.
One questionnaire was administered to assess the pattern of students' conformity behaviour.
Chi-square at the p<0.05 level of significance was used to test the significance of relationship. The findings of the study were as follows:
i. There is a significant difference between conformity to parents and conformity to peers among adolescents. Adolescents conform more to parents than to peers.
ii. There is a significant different between conformity to parents and peers on major and minor issues among adolescents. Adolescents conform more to parents than to peers on major issues. On minor issues, they conform more to their peers than to their parents.
iii. There is no significant difference in conformity behaviour between early and late adolescents.
iv. There is a significant difference in conformity behaviour between boarders and day scholars with regard to social and educational activities. On social activities, boarders are more peer conforming than day scholars. With regard to educational activities, day scholars are more parents conforming than boarders.
v. There is no significant different in conformity behaviour between boarders and day scholars with regard to personal grooming, leisure, classroom discipline, religious activities, anti-social behaviour and occupational aspirations.
vi. There is a significant difference in conformity behaviour between rural adolescents and urban adolescents with regard to personal grooming. Rural urban adolescents. Urban adolescents are more peers conforming than rural adolescents.
vii. There is no significant differences in conformity behaviour between rural adolescents and urban adolescents with regard to leisure, classroom discipline, social activities, educational activities, religious activities, anti-social behaviour and occupational aspirations.
viii. There is a significant difference in conformity behaviour between girls and boys with regard to classroom discipline. Girls are more hand; boys are more conforming to peers than to parents.
ix. There is no significant difference in conformity behaviour between girls and boys with regard to personal grooming, social activities, educational activities, religious activities, anti-social behaviour and occupational aspirations.
In relation to these findings, it was recommended that a favourable home-school relationship must be sought for and parents be fully involved in the overall education of their adolescent children even while at school. Parents and peers should come into picture where adolescent education is concerned.
Finally, suggestions for further research were made, either to replicate this study to cover a larger sample or to look at other variables that affect conformity behaviour.
Description
The HQ 799.2.P44 O3
Keywords
Peer pressure in adolescence--Kenya-Kisumu//Peer counselling of children//parent and child//Conformity.