Presenting Author: Danming An
Social competence is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and skills that individuals display for socially appropriate interactions (Schoon, 2009). The conceptualization of social competence varies by culture (Chen & French, 2008). In collectivistic cultures, group/family needs take priority over the individual’s; thus, children are expected to be obedient, responsible for family obligations, and self-regulated (Tamis-LeMonda et al., 2008). However, traditionally collectivistic countries are becoming increasingly individualistic with economic development, migration, and globalization. Thus, the conceptualization of social competence may include characteristics that promote individualistic values such as individual achievement, especially in areas that are more economically developed. In the present study, we were interested in understanding the conceptualization of social competence and incompetence in Mexico, which is generally considered a collectivistic country (Schimmack et al., 2002). The study site, Mexicali, is the capital city of Baja California, which is located at the border between Mexico and the United States. Three focus groups of mothers 1) from a rural area 45 minutes away from the City of Mexicali (N = 11), 2) from low-SES families in the City of Mexicali (N = 10), and 3) from middle-class families in the City of Mexicali (N = 11), were asked about their definitions of children who are “doing well”/ “not doing well” in terms of behaviors with other children and adults, expression of feelings, goals, and other characteristics (Durbrow et al., 2001). For social competence, mothers from all three groups mentioned themes of obedience and respect, politeness, and open communication with adults, which corresponded with literature on social competence in collectivistic cultures (Tamis‐LeMonda et al., 2008). The rural group and the urban low-SES group, but not the urban middle-class group, also mentioned the theme of helping with family responsibilities/earning money. Only the urban low-SES group mentioned themes related to sociable and prosocial behaviors, such as helping family members, having friends, and playing with friends. All groups mentioned studying and schooling, but only the urban middle-class group emphasized extracurricular education and expectations for graduate schools. Social incompetence themes included ignoring rules, rudeness and disrespect, delinquent behaviors, hyperactivity, and early sexual relationships. These themes corresponded with collectivistic values in that the behaviors which harm social/familial harmony and/or indicate a lack of self-regulation were mentioned most. The themes also appeared to reflect common problems in the community, mothers’ stress/resources, and available time for monitoring children’s behavior closely. In sum, Mexican mothers’ conceptualizations of social competence and incompetence were consistent with collectivistic values. There was some variability across SES and rural/urban areas. Although speculative, this variability may have been related to economic conditions, transborder community, and changing cultural values. As Mexicali is a US-Mexico border city, some children’s schooling and job opportunities are intensely connected with the United States. These mothers, especially the urban/higher-SES ones, may consider the opportunities and cultural values of both countries when cultivating children’s social competence. Future studies need to systematically examine the factors that influence the socialization goals of Mexican mothers, and the implications for children’s social and psychological adjustment.