Abstract
Parents play an important role in helping their children process and interpret significant sociohistorical events. However,
little is known about how parents frame these experiences or the specific social, cultural, and civic messages they may communicate
about the event. In this study, we examined self-reported communication of parents from six communities in the United States
with their adolescents about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Parents’ (N = 972) open-ended responses about September 11th were analyzed to assess whether communication with their adolescents occurred
and for thematic content. Results revealed marked variability in parents’ communication and suggest that many parents used
September 11th as an opportunity to impart sociocultural, emotional, and civic messages. Identifying the diversity in parents’
responses aligns with the tenets of Terror Management Theory and provides insights into the roles of parents in translating
pivotal historical moments. Collectively, these findings yield important implications for civic socialization.
little is known about how parents frame these experiences or the specific social, cultural, and civic messages they may communicate
about the event. In this study, we examined self-reported communication of parents from six communities in the United States
with their adolescents about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Parents’ (N = 972) open-ended responses about September 11th were analyzed to assess whether communication with their adolescents occurred
and for thematic content. Results revealed marked variability in parents’ communication and suggest that many parents used
September 11th as an opportunity to impart sociocultural, emotional, and civic messages. Identifying the diversity in parents’
responses aligns with the tenets of Terror Management Theory and provides insights into the roles of parents in translating
pivotal historical moments. Collectively, these findings yield important implications for civic socialization.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-14
- DOI 10.1007/s10964-011-9676-0
- Authors
- Tara M. Stoppa, Department of Psychology, Eastern University, 1300 Eagle Road, St. Davids, PA 19087, USA
- Laura Wray-Lake, School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, CA, USA
- Amy K. Syvertsen, Search Institute in Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Constance Flanagan, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Journal Journal of Youth and Adolescence
- Online ISSN 1573-6601
- Print ISSN 0047-2891