Communication: a tool for the negotiation of independence in families with adolescents.
It is generally agreed that promoting effective communication in families is a desirable goal for health professionals. Many nurses are consulted by families for direction in managing a multitude of issues. A paucity of literature addressing both adolescent communication and communication in families with adolescents, prompted us to embark upon a programme of research which has examined how adolescents expand their abilities to communicate and explored how adolescents and their families perceive communication within their family. This paper reports on a qualitative study that explored through serial in-depth interviews, parents' and teenagers' perceptions of communication in their families. The conceptualization developed from the study data characterizes communication as a tool used by families. The families' abilities to use the tool effectively, however, is greatly influenced by feelings about the topic or issue under discussion. A major theme in our data is adolescent independence. What this means for parents and adolescents and how this developmental task influences the communication patterns used within the families is discussed.
School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
M J
MJ
Lynam
L
L
Tenn
D000293:Adolescent; D003142:Communication; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005190:Family; D005610:Freedom; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent