Cultural influences

Different cultures value adolescence in different ways emphasising different beliefs, ethics and morals. For example, it is said that in Westernised countries, individualisation and independence is valued, whilst in China as in other cultures too, the emphasis appears to be on interdependence, family values and learning. These are gross generalisations though and different researchers do find contrasting views.

Society may value honesty above everything else, or value a sense of community within the family, so telling small lies may be ignored if it means the family stays together. Other cultures value independence in the adolescent. In other cultures learning is valued and utilised as it is seen as the period of time where the person can rote learn the most knowledge very quickly.

Just as the adolescent is learning about their own identity and who they are, cultural attitudes to what is seen as normal in a society can potentially result in discrimination.