School attitude: The role of parents and peers for western and non-western adolescents

Abstract

In this article, the influence of parents and friends in class on adolescents’ school attitude was compared. Additionally, a moderating effect of identification with a non-western culture in susceptibility to parental influence was examined. Data from the Dutch first wave of the nationally representative survey ‘Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study in Four European Countries’ CILS4EU (2010–2011) were analyzed (N = 2898). Results of multilevel analyses show that, in line with theories of socialization, both parental support and school attitude of friends within class have an effect on school attitude of adolescents. Supporting the argument that peers become increasingly important in adolescence, friends within class are more influential than parents. No difference was found in susceptibility to parental influence between adolescents who identify with a non-western culture and those who do not. However, those who do identify with a non-western culture were found to have a more negative school attitude.