Parenting Behavior of Turkish Migrant and German Mothers with Pre-School Children

The present study investigates parenting behavior of Turkish migrant (n = 100) and German mothers (n = 106) with pre-school children from a similar socio-economical background. A revised form of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ; Frick, 1991) was used to assess maternal rigidity and inconsistency and a short questionnaire. assessed maternal delegation of parental responsibility. Mothers' cultural background, years of education in Germany and psychosocial stress as well as number of children were identified as predictors for maternal parenting behavior and delegation of parental responsibility. Additionally, we found culture specific effects: Turkish migrant mothers' German language abilities predicted maternal inconsistency while religiousness influenced delegation of parental responsibility. Results are discussed as culture specific characteristics which, to some extent, are moderated by migration specific factors of the host culture.