Training 3-Month-Old Babies for the Future: Maternal Beliefs and Interactional Practices in Immigrants From Former Soviet Union Living in Israel

This study focuses on parenting, both as a belief system and a set of practices, in a context of cultural transition during immigration. Parenting beliefs and practices are modified in the process of immigration by negotiating cultures when new cultural sensibilities are constructed. The main focus of our study was parenting beliefs and practices among 1.5 generation of Jewish immigrant mothers from Former Soviet Union (FSU). We compared socialization goals of this group (n = 30) with first generation (n = 15) of FSU immigrant mothers and with secular nonimmigrant Israeli born mothers (n = 20). Our results indicate that the most important socialization goal—education, learning, and goal orientation—does not differ between the first generation and 1.5 generation of immigrant mothers, reflecting preservation of major values from the culture of origin. The second and third most important socialization goals of the 1.5-generation FSU immigrant mothers, self-confidence and social skills, are the same as the goals of the Israeli secular mothers, pointing to a process of incorporation of adaptive values from the host society. However, Israeli mothers posed happiness, positivity, and joy of life as their preferred socialization goal for children. Moreover, this study showed that the 1.5-generation immigrant mothers’ socialization goals and perceptions of good mothering are reflected in their behavior and discourse practices toward their babies during play situations.