Kaloeti Exploring the dynamic of mother adolescents closeness International Conference UDAYANA 2011

Exploring the dynamic of mother-adolescents closeness
Dian Veronika Sakti Kaloeti, Hastaning Sakti
Pusat Pemberdayaan Keluarga (PPK),
Faculty of Psychology, Diponegoro University, Semarang
Central Java-Indonesia
veronikasakti@undip.ac.id ; sakti.hasta@gmail.com

Abstract
This study aims to look at the dynamic of mother-adolescent closeness, and to
exploring the reasons why the adolescents feel close to their mother. A total of
1523 university student (male = 479 ; female = 1044) at Diponegoro University
completed an open-ended questionnaire developed by Kim (2010) that asked how
close they feel to their mother as well as the reason why they feel close to their
mother. The data was analyzed using indigenous psychological approach of
analyzing the content of open-ended responses. Results have shown that
adolescents feel close to their mother because she fulfilling her children
emotional needs (63.5%), fulfilling physical needs (15.1%), being a good role
model (7.5%) and because of consanguinity (5.3%). More verification on details
of categories are required for the future research on closeness between mother
and child relationship.
Key words: closeness, mother-adolescent relationship.


INTRODUCTION

of relation that involving closeness

Aristotle described human beings as

condition

social animals. In recent years, the

relationship. As we know, mothers

field of psychology has attempted to

figure

offer

systemic


because they will transmiss the

knowledge of close relationships and

culture, developing of enculturated

their impact on individuals’ life. One

persons, the constitution of kinship,

scientific

and

is

become

mother-child


very

important,

2

family, and household, and the

Laursen and Collins mentioned that

reproduction of society.

closeness invoked indicators include
interdependence, intimacy, trust, and

Mother spend between 65%-80%

communication (in Vangelisti, 2004).


more time with father and by that so

There is considerable continuity,

mother

bond

however, between positive features

relationship or attach with their

of relationships during adolescence

children or we can called that

and those in earlier life, despite the

closeness. Closeness is an umbrella


altered

term for the degress to which

emotion, and cognition (Collins,

individuals are affected by each

1991).

One

longitudinal

others across time. Closeness and

showed

that


parent

interdependence are evidenced in

during childhood predicted closeness

parent-child

during

will

have

strong

relationships

and


patterns

of

adolescence

interaction,

study

involvement

(Flouri

&

friendships (Laursen in Vangelisti,

Buchanan, 2003), and the other side


2004; Burgees et al,2006).

theories of adolescent development

Its common thing when child feel

give a central role to increasing

close to their mother, but how about

conflict in relationships with parents

when

and to increasing closeness with

they

adolescents?


get

and

Laursen

become

(1995,

in

peers

and

extrafamilial

adults


Bukowski, Newcomb, & Hartup,

(Laursen & Collins, in Vangelisti,

1996)

the

2004).

that

Surveys of adolescents indicate that

conduct

adolescents

and


survey

to

indicate

closeness between adolescents and

provisions

for

closeness

and

their mother getting decrease while

interdependence begin to shift from

adolescents because disagreement

parents to friends and disagreements

with the mother most common

are most common with mothers

appear at that time.

followed by siblings, friends, and
romantic partners, then fathers; angry

Closeness in Mother-Adolescents

disputes arise more frequently with

Relationship

family members than with close

peers (Laursen & Bukowski, 1995;

mature, whereas conversations in

Laursen, Furman & Mooney, 2006).

which information is conveyed and

But parents especially mothers tend

feelings

to appraise the familiy more positive

(Laursen & Bukowski, 1997). So its

even adolescents said the difference

interesting thing to find out how

things. Silverberg and Steinberg (in

about in Indonesia especially at

Bornstein, 2002) noted that the

Semarang, Central Java?. Which

opinion is an attempt toward off the

known that Java is the 13th largest

decline in maternal life satisfaction

island in the world. The Javanese

that

adolescent

people is an ethnic group native to

detachment. Discrepant views of

the Indonesian island of Java and the

parent-child

largest ethnic group on the island and

accompanies

relationship

developmentally,

vary

however.

also

in

are

expressed

Indonesia.

increase

They

are

and

predominantly located Central Java,

discrepant expectations are highest at

Semarang consist of 32,4 million

the outset of adolescence, and views

people

gradually

(http://www.bps.go.id/aboutus.php?s

Mismatched

perceptions

converge

(Collins,1995;

over

time

Seiffge-Krenke,

p=0&kota=33)

1995).
Laursen and Collins (in Vangelisti,

Mother-Adolescents’ Relationship

2004) said that theories of adolescent

in Javanese Context

development give a central role that

Culture may be defined as a system

increasing closeness with peers and

of shared beliefs, values, customs,

extrafamilial

and

behaviors, and artifacts that the

Laursen explained that closeness

members of society use to cope with

during adolescence is manifest in

their world and with one another, and

forms that differ from closeness in

that are transmitted from generation

earlier

to

adults.

parent-child

Hartup

relationships

generation

through

learning

when was child, closeness mark with

(Matsumoto, 1999). This definition

as cuddling and extensive joint

suggests that culture involves three

interactions, decreases as children

key components: what people think,

4

what they do, and the material

wong). Mothers obtain their honor

products

because

they

produce.

Cultural

of

self-sacrificial

care

values and beliefs, particularly those

(Mulder, 1996).

pertaining to developmental goals

In

and

may

relationship between mothers and her

affect the function and organization

children appear from expression of

of parent-child relationships.

affection who emerge explicitly in

From Javanese words, woman comes

the way mother take cares her

from wani (brave) and tapa (suffer),

children. Disclosure of affection are

which means figure who brave to

not done yet explicitly proven in the

suffer for others. Mothers become

treatment of mother to child. The

central figure in the family for

quality

forming and maintaning families.

relationship seems to be the primary

This

as

indicator of identity, self-esteem, and

matrifokalitas symptom. By that so

moral attitudes of adolescents in Java

mother is an ever-present figure and

(Handayani & Noviyanto, 2004)

pay

socialization

practices,

condition

attention,

can

called

be

Javanese

of

family,

the

closeness

mother

child

trusted

completely. Naturally mother figure

METHOD

in Javanese culture always respected

Respondents

than anything, she will always be

A

embedded deep in the emotion and

developed by Kim (2010) was sent to

life of her children.

1523

By giving birth and nurture, she is

studying in Semarang (male = 479 ;

the living symbol of self-sacrifice; by

female = 1044) ; Aged range

being accessible and attentive to her

between 17-26 years old (mean =

offspring, she extends trust and

19.15; SD = 2.719).

emotional warmth and the symbol of

Instruments

homeliness; as the first teacher, she

Respondents were asked the question

lays the foundation for the evolution

from questionnaire about “How much

of the child on its way to becoming

they feel close to their mother?” as

fully Javanese or fully human (dadi

well as the reason why they feel

Parent-Child

Questionnaire

undergraduate

students

close to their mother. The researcher

categories through listing all the

decided to use questionnaire to elicit

thematic ideas that emerged from the

information in order that respondents

data. When a response revealed a

received an identical set of questions,

new topic, a cetegory was created to

phrases in exactly the same way,

accomodate that topic. The final

leading to standardisation of the

category structure emerged after four

responses which higher reliability

coders had discuss and make an

(Hayes, 2000). It was also proper to

aggreement. To account for any bias

use questionnaire for the purpose of

in the coding, three undergraduate

this study, because as a larger

research assistants were trained and

number of subjects could be reached.

coded 20% of the surveys.

An

extra

benefit

of

using

questionnaires is that information can

RESULT

guarantee

and

The research question asked the

therefore may elicit more thruthful

reason why the participants feel close

responses

Open

to their mother. The frequency data

questions ensure higher ecological

pointed out that the most reason they

validity as the respondents is not

feel close to their mother were

confined by choice of answes, and as

providing emotional needs (63.4%, n

result this allows ‘true opinions’ to

= 967), fulfilling physical needs

be confirmed (Hayes, 2000).

(15.1%, n = 230), being a good role

Data Analysis

model (7.5%, n = 114), and because

The data was analysed using content

of consanguinity (5.3%, n = 81).

analysis. The responses to the open-

Completed cateogorization showed

ended questions were coded into

at table.1.

confidentially

(Hayes,

2000).

6

Table 1. Mother-adolescents closeness in Indonesia
Sex

Category
1. Fulfilling emotional
needs
Willing to share
everything
Understanding child
Give love
Give comfort
Emotionally close
2. Fulfilling physical
needs
Physical presence
Nurturing
3. Being a good role
model
Being meaningful figure
Being a good role model
4. Consanguinity
Gave birth
Child obligation
5. Others
Unidentified + do not
feel close to the mother
6. Blank
Total

Male
261 (54.5)

Total

female
706
(67.6)

967

(63.5)

95

(19.8)

304

(29.1)

399

(26.2)

53
70
23
20
95

(11.1)
(14.6)
(4.8)
(4.2)
(19.8)

196
79
85
42
135

(18.8 )
(7.6)
(8.1)
(4.0)
(12.9)

249
149
108
62
230

(16.3)
(9.8)
(7.1)
(4.1)
(15.1)

51
44
47

(10.6)
(9.2)
(9.8)

101
34
67

(9.7)
(3.3)
(6.4)

152
78
114

(10.0)
(5.1)
(7.5)

33
14
43
20
23
7
7

(6.9)
(2.9)
(9.0)
(4.2)
(4.8)
(1.5)
(1.5)

45
22
38
27
11
13
13

(4.3)
(2.1)
(3.6)
(2.6)
(1.1)
(1.2)
(1.2)

78
36
81
47
34
20
20

(5.1)
(2.4)
(5.3)
(3.1)
(2.2)
(1.3)
(1.3)

(5.4)
479
(100.0)

85

26

(8.1)
1044
(100.0)

111
( 7.3)
1523
(100.0)

Separately, closeness between sons

answer about fulfilling emotional

and

needs, male are higher at physical,

daughter

slightly

have

differences, the figure 1 shown that
female tend to higher than male in

good role model and consanguity.

Figure 1. Closeness between male adolescents and female adolescents

Figure 2 shown about how close

feel much close to their mother and

adolescents with their mother. From

46.2% female adolescents feel very

that chart, we can initiated that about

much close to their mother.

49.8% male adolescents respondent

Figure 2. How close respondents feel to their mother?

DISCUSSION

With that ways, children dont think

Result reveal that fulfilling emotional

twice when want to share about their

needs

self. Its apparent from answers like:

become

most

respondent

answer which is 63,4%. At this
themes, relationship with mother is
characterizes by willing to share
everything, giving an unconditional
emotional

support,

giving

299.1.A. because mother is the place
to share my sense and the story of my
life
330.1.A. because I always tell her
everything.

love,

comfort and emotionally close with

From figure 1 above, we can

children. At second place followed

conclude why there are differences

by fulfiling physical needs, because

about male and female adolescents

mother being good role model and

perceived their closeness to their

because their consanguity. Its quite

mother, it could be happened, its

different

in addition what Kim

because mother talked more about

(2008) found, that South Korean

emotions, affected more to her

parents traditionally tend to consider

daughter than sons. Its also the ways

high levels of (strict) control and

of the mother nurturing and inherit

involvement in their children’s daily

the daughter, who prepared to be an

lives as a way of expressing parental

adult women and someday become a

love (affection) and caring toward

mother too, in order to fulfil the

their children. In this research,

culture

expectation

mother are describing as loving

should

be

person

affectionally.

(trisna),

gentle,

fully

that

tender,

woman

and

fully

affection, and understanding her

This results, in line with parent-child

children, which demonstrated by an

relationship research, conduct by

example of respondents answer, such

Kim and Choi (1994) at South Korea

as:

who found that mothers are to be
benevolent

295.1.A. because my mother is the
one who most understands me.
1154.1.A.She always understand my
condition and what I felt.

providing

and

understanding,

themselves

as

the

emotional provider of the family.
Mother will nurturing by emotion

work, means that women suporting

it happens it will become bad

feel responsible for meeting the

behavior,being sinner or godless. Its

emotional needs of the children

exist in respondent answer, like:

(DeVault in Vangelisti,2004).

1239.1.A.heaven lays on mother feet.
1415.1.A.because i respect her. In
religion, blessing from God is similar
to parents blessing. Heaven = when
mother give her blessing (ridha) to
her children.

At figure 2, 84.7% respondents feel
very much close to their mother. It
proved that relationship with mother
remain as strong and secure as before
and

still

going

through

until

From that answer, it is also seen that

adolescents. It interesting part, why

Moslem

they feel close eventhough they

influenced respondent lives, where

already become young adult? This

most of respondents are moslem

finding different with several other

(88%). One well-known narrative in

studies

are

the Hadith underlines the respect

increases in negativity and decreases

paid to mothers. It tells of a man who

in the closeness between parents and

asked the prophet Mohammad to

youth (Collins & Steinberg, 2006;

whom he should be dutiful. The

McGue et al., 2005). From Javanese

answer was, “your mother, your

context, being

mother,

that

mention

there

close to

mother

value

your

become

mother

heavily

and

your

represents one of the devotion of the

father." It caused eventhough they

children to their parents (dharma

are growing up, mother remained an

bakti). Closeness, as well as one

important figure in their life.

form of child respect to the mother,

When adolescents develop and maintain

because there statement

their

in our

closeness

with

the

mothers,

society that “surga berada dibawah

simultaneous provide maternal support.

telapak kaki ibu” (heavens lays on

Laursen, Furman & Mooney (2006)

mother feet) so parents blessing

have shown that perceived maternal

especially mother is representation of

support

God blessing, with when childs dont

adolescents’ global self-worth.And

close with their mother it means that

from the result we can said that theres

they ignoring the mother, and when

is

interdependence

associated

pattern

with

among

10

adolescents

to

their

mother.

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