FAMILY COMMUNICATION AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT: FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MALAY YOUTH

Conflict management and family communication patterns are influenced by culture and tradition, suggesting that differences may exist between different cultures. Many studies have been done on conflict management and family communication patterns in Western families, as well as in Chinese families. This study aims to examine conflict management strategies and family communication patterns among Malaysian East Coast Malay adolescents, from an Interaction Theory approach.360 survey questionnaires were distributed to Malay adolescents in urban areas in states located in the East Coast of the Peninsular Malaysia. Results indicate high conformity and low conversation characterize family communication amongst respondents. This study also found that majority of the adolescents surveyed use avoidance and collaborating strategies rather than a dominating strategy during conflicts with their parents. This study shows that conflict strategies practiced by adolescents have the potential to maintain harmony in parent-child relationships.