Conflict Management Styles of Adolescents in Mother-Daughter Relationship Belonging to Individualistic and Collectivistic Cultures

Conflict in close relationships during the period of adolescence has been the focus of research in Westren cultures where individualism is stressed. To examine the conflict management of adolescence belonging to individualistic and collectivistic cultures. 80 dyads of British (white) and Pakistani mothers and their adolescent daughters were studied. On the basis of the theories of Cultural Variability Dimensions and Conflict Face-negotiation, it was hypothesized that Pakistani mothers and daughters will use a greater degree of an avoiding style, whereas British mothers and daughters will use a greater degree of either dominating or compromising style. It was also argued that Pakistani daughters and mothers will express more intimacy and relational harmony, will exhibit greater connectedness and mutuality, and demonstrate lesser individuality, and self­ assertion compared to their British counterparts. However, it appeared that both the groups used avoiding styles equally in a Conflict situation, although the British group used dominating style more than Pakistani group. As hypothesized Pakistani mothers and daughters expressed more intimacy, relational harmony, connectedness/mutuality, and lesser individuality compared to British mothers and daughters.