Preferred Parenting Styles: Do Jewish and Arab–Israeli Emerging Adults Differ?

The study addressed cultural effects on Israeli emerging adults’ preferred parenting styles. Pre-parenthood preferred parenting styles in a traditional society (Arab) were compared with those in a more modern Western-oriented society (Jews). The study revealed that both groups preferred the authoritative parenting style to the authoritarian and permissive styles. Unexpectedly, it was also revealed that Arab participants indicated higher preference on the permissive style compared to Jews. Regression analysis indicated that gender is statistically significant in explaining parenting styles, with women preferring authoritative parenting and men authoritarian. Implications of the study are discussed.