From mother to daughter: passing down cultural identity

Abstract

Individual identity is influenced by multiple cultural groups. Society at large and religious organizations are just two cultural groups that may influence individual behavior. The Christian religion is one culture many Americans identify with. Under the umbrella of Christianity, the the majority of people identify with the Baptist denominations. Past literature reveals consistent and specific ideas regarding female gender role expectations within religious cultures, including beliefs about marriage and motherhood. It was the purpose of this research to more fully understand gender role expectations communicated using a popular female Christian magazine whose roots began with a well-known Southern Baptist ordained preacher. Consistent themes found in the magazine articles were compared with transcripts of interviews conducted by the researcher. It was through the comparison of the article and the interview themes, the researcher established that over time, society influenced the messages used by both the magazine and the interview participants. Although those associated with the Baptist culture are still communicating messages about marriage and motherhood, the messages sent to females today are ones that support both family and career choices.