A qualitative study on the skills of young people to resolve religious and value-based conflicts with their parents

The aim of the study is to understand the nature of religious and value-based conflicts experienced by individuals with their parents during their youth and the strategies and skills they use in the resolution of these conflicts. In this context, by analyzing the skills that young people have in the conflict resolution process, it aims to draw attention to the importance of basic skills such as empathy and effective communication, which are necessary for the establishment and maintenance of a healthy family structure. In the study, semi-structured interview technique, one of the qualitative research methods, was preferred and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 17 young people aged 18-25 in 2024. The data obtained from the interviews were evaluated within the framework of themes, categories and codes created by the content analysis method. Among the findings of our study, it was found that young people mostly experience conflicts with their parents regarding clothing, worship, kinship relations and desire for individualization. The reasons for these conflicts are seen to be the perception of religiosity, generation gap and past experiences, socio-cultural differences and negative parental attitudes. The findings on the resolution process of religion and value-based conflicts experienced by young people with their parents are discussed through the positive and negative effects of the reactions to the conflict on the relationship between the parties. Conflict resolution strategies such as belligerence, avoidance and tactical approach obtained from the interviews were evaluated as attitudes that would negatively affect family relationships. It was evaluated that skills such as problem solving, empathy, effective communication and self-control obtained from the interviews had a positive and constructive function in the conflict resolution process. In this direction, it is considered that it is important to resolve the religion and value-based conflicts that young people experience with their parents in line with conflict resolution skills and to develop these skills in individuals in order to ensure family integrity, to create a healthy family structure, to protect and increase the functionality of the family in transferring religion and values.