Why do many people end up having the same views as their parents and why do some rebel?

Well the beliefs that a person has are often shaped by their upbringing. Usually, a child will imitate their parents, and often ends up believing in the same things the parents did. Sometimes, though, the child feels a need to be different from the parents and ends up having different views. For example, if the child sees their parent do something that is clearly wrong, their views may change. Experience is a teacher.

Rebel is a strong word. Some people just have different opinions or a different view of life than their parents. Sometimes the children grew up in a very different experience or world. I see this a lot with poor immigrant families who come to the US, the children are Americanised and assimilated more than the parents, they might have a higher education compared to the parents, and more interaction with varied opinions. Sometimes it is referred to as the parents having “old world” views. So the children don’t necessarily rebel, but they have a very different perspective on life, ettiquette, sometimes politics amd religion.

Children who rebel, or spite their parents, I think many times feel very restricted and confined by their parents. Extreme rebellion is their way to break free, find their independence and autonomy. It is like an extreme adolescense I think.

Of course if the parents are truly bad people with low integrity, then it is logical for the child to completely break free and live a different life. But, that is an extreme circumstance, which I assume you are not discussing within the realm of this question.

Children are molded by whoever raises them as well as other people and environments. We all do things our parents have taught us, but not everything, because we soon are able to think in an independent manner and come to our own conclusions about various things. It really depends on a lot of factors, but people usually start thinking for themselves as they get older.

I think many of the answers are more than sufficient and insightful; however, you mentioned if there is a book on the subject. Though not specifically on the relationship between the child/parent belief structure, Michael Shermer’s The Believing Brain would no doubt enlighten as to how we construct beliefs and subsequently reinforce those beliefs to the standard of personal truth.

If kids end up with only what the parents believe or share the same views then we’d never evolve. It’s just like staying in the same spot when you try to fish when someone is saying you can go further with the boat or sail a few yards away to catch some fish.

But rebellion comes not from the parents with narrow minded views but from others who tell them the parents are dead wrong with most of what they believe. And of course the kids believing these guys to be completely true.

In addition to what has already been mentioned, you also have to take peer influences into consideration.

Young people look for models of how to be in the world, and they look for affirmation. Parents may or may not provide these. In early childhood, there is no alternative to the version of life presented by the parents. But as the child grows and sees that there is more than one way of looking at things, then the kid may start to question the attractiveness of the model offered by the parents. Does their worldview appear to function well for them? Can the kid easily imagine himself fitting into the world as portrayed by the parents?

Sometimes one’s peers offer a more compelling worldview, one where the kid sees a more credible—or quicker—path to affirmation. If the kid judges that adopting a different set of values can be the key to instant integration into a tight social circle, one in which he can feel accepted and respected, then he may buy into those values.

I’m wondering if our emotional background on our logical reasoning has anything to do about it.
Sometimes how we approach a point I think can be hugely influenced on our emotions about that.
I wonder how much we can be influenced on complex issues by setting an instant emotional feeling in one direction and especially at a young age when we don’t have much reasoning abilities and no emotional feelings for these sorts of complex issues yet.

@kingpinlovesyou With kids, a lot of their emotional background are also defined by parental influence. Their influence is stronger if their kids really like them and not just because they feed, house and educate them. Any parent, if they become so unreasonable in enforcing their beliefs and rules, chances are they will drive their kid to rebel, and yes, even if the parent is actually right on that certain issue.

It’s the manner and magnitude of their efforts that sometimes dictate whether a kid would continue being like them or go totally in the other direction.

My views are different than that of my parents because I found other views that made more sense, were more logical, were more in line with the kind of person I wanted to be.

My mom and dad raised me to be liberal. Then when my parents got divorced and my mom remarried, she went hardcore neocon. I’m sure people who haven’t known my familf for years think that I’m some sort of rebel, but I’m actually following the path my parents set out for me.

There is a proverb: raise up a child in the way that he should go, and he will not stray from it.

I am liberal and left leaning in my views yet my son, who is very like me in many ways, is very right wing. I haven’t yet understood this.

Even though parents have a great amount of influence over their children, those children do have to grow up and form their own opinions. Some kids find that what their parents believed in really is what they believe in, and some realize they have their own ideas. I don’t really know if it’s rebelling or just growing up and becoming your own person.
No matter how closely you raise your child, they’re still going to realize that other people do things differently, and at some point it’s up to them to decide what they personally feel is right.

Well every person is different. And you are nurtured by your parents who are basically your teachers in life. Let’s say mom cooked supper evey night for the family. That most likely means you believe in that and that’s what you’ll do for your family. Did your parents make you pay rent?? If so then most likely if you agree with that you’ll do the same for your kids. It’s basically a way to mold your family into what you expect them to become. Even if it’s just teaching them to respect their elders. And whether or not kids agree is upon them.
So growing up you tend to believe eveything they tell you. Until you hit that age where either who cares what mom and dad says I’m going to do it anyways or well i disagree with you mom and dad. Noone said you have to always listen to your parents. And since eveyrone has different views about everything, then most likely you either rebel or just do your own thing. People as young adults or teenagers tend to make their own decision knowingly it’s wrong or right. I wouldn’t necessarily call it rebellious everytime. Every child has to grow up and formulate their own opinions about life or about anything.