Role Perceptions of Hispanic Young Adults

Abstract

Three studies explored the role perceptions of samples of Hispanic Navy recruits. Three different methods were used: (1) role differentials, in which a role, such as son-mother; and behaviors, such as "tells secrets to," were presented to subjects who estimated the frequency of the behavior on a ten-point scale ranging from never to always; (2) behavior differentials, in which stimuli, such as father, and behaviors that the subjects themselves engage in were presented to subjects who indicated whether they would engage in such behaviors, and (3) attribute ratings in which the subjects were presented with a stimulus person and were asked to indicate the probability of certain attributes being characteristic of the stimulus (e.g., fathers are tough). There was some convergence across methods. The total pattern of results across studies suggested that subjects from the U.S. general population experience a push out of the family, a pull toward the family, and a pull toward work roles, the total sum of these forces favoring work roles. Hispanics, on the other hand, experience essentially no push out of the family, a strong pull toward the family, and perceive work roles with considerable ambivalence.