ABSTRACT
LeVine, Miller, and West (1988) demonstrated that parental goals for children vary in different cultural contexts. In a longitudinal study of child development and parenthood, 19 U.S. middle-class mothers almost unanimously identified two future goals for their children (Richman, Miller, & Solomon, 1988). First, they hoped that their children would become independent, self-reliant adults. Second, they hoped that their children would develop social competencies that would ensure successful interpersonal relationships.
