Our book contains a paragraph regarding the Peers vs parents argument, referencing a study done by Judith Harris. Harris proposes a group socialization theory, a theory that claims that an individual's peers have more influence than one's parents. This study, though questioned, deserves a more in depth look. Though most core influences are from our parents, the transition from childhood to adulthood can cause teens to purposely stray away from parental influences in order to obtain values and norms more socially acceptable by peers. If you think back to your pre-teen and early teenage years, you may be surprised how influential peers can be, at least I did. For me, even as a relatively young child I found myself spending a lot more time away from home, so much in fact that my parents once made "house rule" for my siblings and I to spend a designated amount of time at home each day, especially during the summer. Thinking back to the influences of my friends, though some fell by the wayside, a great deal of how I live my life today is a product of those peer influences, for better or worse. In this video, Dr. Gordon Neufeld discusses his book and ideas on the influence of peers, and even goes as far to say an individuals friends should not be near the top of the list of emotional needs. Though somewhat extreme, these idea are worth analyzing and applying to your own life. By all means, no need to watch the whole video, but do watch the first few minutes of the interview. Very interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwjDSPUX6zc
I would agree with the peers over parents argument. I think the people I hung out with in grade school and high school have had a major impact on my work ethic, language, and friendship habits. Luckily I hung out with some pretty decent kids!