ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the observation that although there are many institutions socializing children in complex world, including peer groups, schools, the mass media, and work groups, the family continues to be a potentially powerful influence on the lives of children. It explains the issue of aggregate intergenerational similarity, investigating overall differences between young adults and their parents. The chapter focuses on the locus of inquiry from the aggregate level to the microlevel and asks the extent to which individual parents and their children are alike. It shows how the family attitudes and decisions of children are influenced by a broad range of parental family characteristics and experiences. The chapter provides several dimensions of young people's family attitudes and behaviors. It draws on data from a panel study of mothers and children. There are clearly important differences between mothers and children in their attitudes toward family issues, although the magnitude of the differences varies across specific issues.
