Family Matters: The Importance of Mattering to Family in Adolescence

274 Pages·2009·1.28 MB·English

by  Gregory C. Elliott

9781405162425_1_pre.qxd 6/11/08 9:41 AM Page i
Family Matters
Family Matters: The Importance of Mattering t o Family in Adolescence Gregory C. Elliott
© 2009 Gregory C. Elliott. ISBN: 978-1-405-16242-5
9781405162425_1_pre.qxd 6/11/08 9:41 AM Page ii
I dedicate this book with great love, admiration, and respect to
Morris Rosenberg. Manny, as his friends and colleagues knew him,
was the pre-eminent scholar of the self. His works, including Con-
ceiving the self (which earned him the Distinguished Contribution for
Scholarship Award from the American Sociological Association) and
Society and the adolescent self-image, became the foundation for much
of the sociological and psychological studies of the self that followed.
His methodological expertise, exemplified in The logic of survey ana-
lysis and The language of social research (with Paul Lazarsfeld), assured
a precise and rigorous empirical analysis to substantiate the theories
he developed.
When I arrived at the University of Maryland, College Park, for my
first academic appointment in Sociology, I was very fortunate that Manny
soon took me under his wing. As a superb mentor and colleague, he
provided advice, support, and guidance that made everything I did
better. Our collaborative research taught me so much about the lore
of research and data analysis; he helped me choose appropriate out-
lets for my manuscripts; and, perhaps most important, his professional
and personal encouragement helped me find my own niche in the dis-
cipline. Manny was very generous with his assistance, while allowing
me autonomy. He was the ideal mentor. More than that, he was a
true friend.
Thank you, Manny. In your own words, you matter.
9781405162425_1_pre.qxd 6/11/08 9:41 AM Page iii
FAMILY
MATTERS
The Importance of Mattering
to Family in Adolescence
GREGORY C. ELLIOTT
A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication
9781405162425_1_pre.qxd 6/11/08 9:41 AM Page iv
This edition first published 2009
© 2009 Gregory C. Elliott
Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007.
Blackwell’s publishing program has been merged with Wiley’s global Scientific,
Technical, and Medical business to form Wiley-Blackwell.
Registered Office
John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex,
PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom
Editorial Offices
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA
9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK
The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK
For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services, and for
information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material
in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell.
The right of Gregory C. Elliott to be identified as the author of this work has
been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the
UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of
the publisher.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content
that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed
as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade
names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned
in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative
information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding
that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional
advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional
should be sought.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Elliott, Gregory.
Family matters : the importance of mattering to family in adolescence /
Gregory C. Elliott.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4051-6242-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4051-6243-2
(pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Adolescent psychology. 2. Teenagers—Family relationships.
3. Teenagers—Conduct of life. 4. Parent and teenager. I. Title.
BF724.E49 2009
155.5′18—dc22
2008028045
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Set in 10.5/13pt Galliard by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong
Printed in Malaysia by Vivar Printing Sdn Bhd
1 2009
9781405162425_1_pre.qxd 5/11/08 2:17 PM Page v
Contents
Preface viii
Acknowledgments x
1 What Does It Mean to Matter? 1
Introduction: A Thought Experiment 1
Defining Mattering: What It Is 2
Distinguishing Mattering: What It Is Not 8
A Similar Construct 12
Mattering and the Self as Entity 15
Mattering and the Self as Process 19
Mattering and the Life Course 25
Mattering in Adolescence 28
The Structure of the Book 32
2 Mattering Matters 33
Mattering as a Motivator for Behavior 33
The Motivational Properties of Mattering 37
Anti-Social Behavior 42
A Contemporary Example: Timothy McVeigh and
the Oklahoma City Bombing 43
Self-Destructive Behavior 46
A Contemporary Example: Seung-Hui Cho and
the Massacre at Virginia Tech 47
v
9781405162425_1_pre.qxd 5/11/08 2:17 PM Page vi
Contents
Elaborating the Relationship: The Mediating
Role of Self-Esteem 52
Mattering to Family 59
3 Researching Mattering: An Overview 63
Operationalization: The Craft of Measurement 63
Gathering the Sample 67
Plan of the Analysis 68
A Caveat 70
Reporting the Results of the Analyses 71
4 Mattering and Anti-Social Behavior 73
Theories of Anti-Social Behavior 74
Relevant Research on Anti-Social Behavior 79
Preliminary Analysis: The Relationship between
Mattering and Self-Esteem 81
Truancy 84
Vandalism 88
Dealing in Contraband 91
Theft from the Family 95
Physical Violence 97
An Additional Mediator: Attitude toward Violence 103
Preliminary Analysis: Mattering and Attitude
toward Violence 105
Carrying a Weapon 109
Violence against Others 114
Mattering and Anti-Social Behavior: Summing It Up 119
5 Mattering and Self-Destructive Behavior 123
Theories of Self-Destructive Behavior 125
Self-Esteem Again 126
llicit Drug Use 127
Binge Drinking 132
Suicidal Behavior 137
An Additional Mediator: Depression 140
Preliminary Analysis: Mattering to Family
and Depression 144
Suicidal Behavior: Planning Suicide 146
vi
9781405162425_1_pre.qxd 5/11/08 2:17 PM Page vii
Contents
Suicidal Behavior: Attempted Suicide 149
Mattering and Self-Destructive Behavior: Summing It Up 153
6 Inducing Mattering 157
The Social-Structural Underpinnings of Mattering 160
A Different Perspective 170
Teaching Children That They Matter 174
Parenting Styles and Mattering to Family 182
Parenting: It’s Not About the Parent 187
Too Much Mattering? 191
The Future of Mattering 193
Appendix: Researching Mattering: A Scientific View 197
The Sample and the Procedure 197
Measuring Mattering 200
Measuring Self-Esteem 200
Measuring the Control Variables 202
Limitations of the Data Set 205
Plan of the Analysis 206
Reporting the Results of the Analyses 209
A Caveat 230
References 233
Index 251
vii
9781405162425_1_pre.qxd 5/11/08 2:17 PM Page viii
Preface
Ever since I began studying social psychology, my primary interest has
been the self. Inspired by Erving Goffman, my dissertation research
focused on the processes by which we present ourselves to others. When
I accepted my first position as an assistant professor at the University
of Maryland, College Park, I was fortunate to have Morris Rosenberg
as my mentor. He trained me, both conceptually and methodology,
in the social psychology of the self-concept, and it was from him that
I learned the concept of mattering: the extent to which people
believe they make a difference in the lives of others.
This book represents the culmination of my efforts. I believe
that mattering is the fundamental human motivation; to be a social
nonentity is intolerable, and people will do anything to escape this
plight. When Prof. Richard Gelles generously invited me to include
the mattering index I had developed (as well as Rosenberg’s self-esteem
index) in his study of dysfunctional behavior among adolescents, I had
the opportunity to relate mattering (in this case, mattering to one’s
family) to behavior. The results give powerful evidence that matter-
ing is indeed an essential part of the self-concept, in that failing to
matter precipitously increases the likelihood of anti-social and self-
destructive activity.
The intended audience for this book includes social psychologists,
psychologists, sociologists, and social workers. It is pitched at the level
of professional practitioners in each of these disciplines. In the uni-
versity curriculum, the book is appropriate for an upper level under-
graduate or graduate course in social psychology, the self-concept,
viii
9781405162425_1_pre.qxd 5/11/08 2:17 PM Page ix
Preface
adolescence, deviant behavior, and risky behavior. It could be a
required book in any of the courses mentioned above. In a general
social psychology course, it would be appropriate for a unit on the
self-concept. The empirical analyses of the data are presented in an
accessible fashion for students at any level of study.
I endeavored to make the book accessible to non-professionals, as
well. I intend the chapter on research method to be detailed enough
to convey an adequate sense of how research is done, without dwell-
ing on complex issues. For those interested in more detail and dis-
cussion, I describe the intricacies of the research process in the
Appendix. In addition, the final chapter includes a guide for parents
and other authority figures (teachers, counselors, coaches) to induc-
ing mattering in young people.
Because mattering is a relatively new concept in social psychology,
there has been little published in this area. Research on the concept
to date has appeared only in articles from peer-reviewed journals and
a single piece in an edited book of readings. Further, the research has
mainly focused on the antecedents to mattering (death of a loved one,
social status and role) or the intrapersonal consequences of mattering
(depression, self-esteem). This book is the first large-scale analysis of
the powerful impact of mattering on behavior. It will open the gates
for a new direction in the study of the self and will bring an under-
standing of a fundamental motivation that has been only implicitly
recognized in social psychology to this time.
ix