Unbroken Homes: Parenting Style and Adolescent Positive Development in Chinese Single-Mother Families Experiencing Economic Disadvantage

Based on the data collected from 372 single-mother families experiencing economic disadvantage in Hong Kong, the familial pathways through which parenting style (maternal responsiveness and demandingness) influenced adolescent positive development via filial piety were examined. Results showed that maternal responsiveness and demandingness influenced adolescent positive development via filial piety in poor Chinese single-mother families. Rather than emphasizing “broken” homes and “deficiency” of single-mother families in cultivating adolescent development, this pioneering study underscores the importance of fostering care and pursuing demandingness in parenting, which further promotes filial piety and positive development of adolescents. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.