Leon Kuczynski
I am a developmental psychologist who does empirical and theoretical research on parent-child interactions and relationships. I am interested in dynamic bidirectional processes in parent-child interactions and parent-child relationships in areas such as socialization, social development and relationship formation. This involves not only an interest in parenting, namely how parents interact with and influence their children but also an interest in filiating, namely, how children interact with and influence their parents.
BILATERAL MODEL OF PARENT-CHILD RELATIONS AND SOCIAL RELATIONAL THEORY
I have contributed to two related theoretical frameworks for studying parent-child relationships. These provide an integrative, interdisciplinary framework for understanding parent and child influence in a balanced and parallel manner so as to shed light on the long standing problem of children's contributions to their own socialization and development within the family.
The BILATERAL MODEL of parent-child relations (Kuczynski, 2003) proposes four interrelated assumptions for a dynamic approach to studying parent-child processes. These include: bidirectional (dialectical) causality, parents and children considered equally as human agents, interdependent asymmetry in power and the culturally embedded relationship context of parent-child interaction. The focus on parent and child agency and relationship contexts promote a strengths-based approach to family relationships.
SOCIAL RELATIONAL THEORY proposes a distinctive developmental perspective on socialization based on a dialectical systems view of transaction. It is presented as an alternative to dominant theories based on on behavioral principles. and other theories having mechanistic ontologies. Social Relational TheoryI emphasizes the study of social transactions occurring in the context of culturally embedded social relationships . It builds on the agentic and dynamic process orientation of the bilateral model but its dialectical transactional underpinnings adds a focus on qualitative as opposed to linear change.
The original article for this approach can be found in Kuczynski & Parkin (2007). Social Relational Theory has been recently updated (Kuczynski & De Mol, in press) and will appear in the forthcoming Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science.
MICRO PROCESS MODELS
The bilateral model and social relational theory enable the reinterpretation of major constructs in the socialization literature that have traditionally been formulated from mechanistic or problem focussed perspective.
As examples, I have developed a variety of models for understanding micro processes in parent-child interactions that generally reformulate static unidirectional concepts such as "compliance," "inter-generational transmission", acculturation and "parenting styles" so as to reflect human agency and bidirectional dynamics in the context of close relationships. As well the transactional model of parent-child relationships provides an overall model for understanding relationships and relational dynamics (see Kuczynski & De Mol (in press).
RECENT EMPIRICAL TOPICS
• Parent-child intimacy
• Parents and children's conceptions of the parent-child
relationship
• The parent-child relationship as a context for parent-
child dynamics
• Children as agents in family life
• Children's Influence on parents' continuing adult development
• Resistance and noncompliance in toddlerhood,
middle childhood and adolescence
• Internalization of values
• Parent-child relationships in families undergoing
acculturation
• Impact of one child policy in China on child agency
and family dynamics
.
BOOKS
Kuczynski, L. (2003). Handbook of Dynamics in Parent-Child Relations . Twin Oaks CA: Sage.
Grusec, J.E. & Kuczynski, L. (1997). Parenting and the Internalization of Values: A Handbook of Contemporary Theory. N.Y.: Wiley
BILATERAL MODEL OF PARENT-CHILD RELATIONS AND SOCIAL RELATIONAL THEORY
I have contributed to two related theoretical frameworks for studying parent-child relationships. These provide an integrative, interdisciplinary framework for understanding parent and child influence in a balanced and parallel manner so as to shed light on the long standing problem of children's contributions to their own socialization and development within the family.
The BILATERAL MODEL of parent-child relations (Kuczynski, 2003) proposes four interrelated assumptions for a dynamic approach to studying parent-child processes. These include: bidirectional (dialectical) causality, parents and children considered equally as human agents, interdependent asymmetry in power and the culturally embedded relationship context of parent-child interaction. The focus on parent and child agency and relationship contexts promote a strengths-based approach to family relationships.
SOCIAL RELATIONAL THEORY proposes a distinctive developmental perspective on socialization based on a dialectical systems view of transaction. It is presented as an alternative to dominant theories based on on behavioral principles. and other theories having mechanistic ontologies. Social Relational TheoryI emphasizes the study of social transactions occurring in the context of culturally embedded social relationships . It builds on the agentic and dynamic process orientation of the bilateral model but its dialectical transactional underpinnings adds a focus on qualitative as opposed to linear change.
The original article for this approach can be found in Kuczynski & Parkin (2007). Social Relational Theory has been recently updated (Kuczynski & De Mol, in press) and will appear in the forthcoming Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science.
MICRO PROCESS MODELS
The bilateral model and social relational theory enable the reinterpretation of major constructs in the socialization literature that have traditionally been formulated from mechanistic or problem focussed perspective.
As examples, I have developed a variety of models for understanding micro processes in parent-child interactions that generally reformulate static unidirectional concepts such as "compliance," "inter-generational transmission", acculturation and "parenting styles" so as to reflect human agency and bidirectional dynamics in the context of close relationships. As well the transactional model of parent-child relationships provides an overall model for understanding relationships and relational dynamics (see Kuczynski & De Mol (in press).
RECENT EMPIRICAL TOPICS
• Parent-child intimacy
• Parents and children's conceptions of the parent-child
relationship
• The parent-child relationship as a context for parent-
child dynamics
• Children as agents in family life
• Children's Influence on parents' continuing adult development
• Resistance and noncompliance in toddlerhood,
middle childhood and adolescence
• Internalization of values
• Parent-child relationships in families undergoing
acculturation
• Impact of one child policy in China on child agency
and family dynamics
.
BOOKS
Kuczynski, L. (2003). Handbook of Dynamics in Parent-Child Relations . Twin Oaks CA: Sage.
Grusec, J.E. & Kuczynski, L. (1997). Parenting and the Internalization of Values: A Handbook of Contemporary Theory. N.Y.: Wiley
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Social Relational Theory Articles by Leon Kuczynski
Socialization, Internalization, Acculturation by Leon Kuczynski
Children's Resistance and Noncompliance Articles by Leon Kuczynski
suggests that children’s resistance strategies can be differentiated using the dimensions of assertiveness, social skill, and overt versus covert expression. This study explores children’s strategies for expressing resistance during the neglected period of middle childhood.
Method: Forty children, 9–13 years of age, participated for 1 week in a study focused on children’s experiences of socialization and parent–child relationships. Procedures included a 5-day event diary, and a 1-hour semi-structured interview about the rules and expectations in their home and their strategies of resistance. Results: Thematic analysis identified a rich repertoire of strategies for resisting unwelcome
parental demands. These included overt resistance, such as negotiation, argument, and expressions of non-acceptance and covert resistance such as covert transgressions and cognitive non-acceptance of parental demands when compelled to comply. Conclusion: The findings were interpreted as reflecting children’s development of assertiveness
and social skill as they expressed their autonomy in the interpersonal context of the interdependent but asymmetrical relationship with their parents.
the perspective of parents who sought clinical services for children’s severe noncompliance.
Method: Mothers from 25 families who accessed clinical services were interviewed about their relationship with their children aged 8–13 and their experiences of their children’s challenging behaviours. Results: Mothers distinguished two different types of challenging behaviour: normative resistance and extreme aggression. Mothers described normative resistance as an expected part of children’s developing autonomy and treated resistance with behavioural management strategies. Mothers also described occasions when children displayed emotionally dis-regulated extreme aggression, which were consistent with clinical descriptions of children’s difficult to manage behaviour. Conclusion: Contrary to clinical recommendations mothers used relational strategies to reconnect children with their agency. The distinction between two different child behaviours, and strategies for each challenging behaviours have theoretical and practical implications.