Teenagers, for example, are embarrassed when their parents are out of tune with fashion or employ a vocabulary from ages (two decades) ago. The same teenagers have no problem with their parents at home, but as soon as their friends are around, things change: What will they think if they see me walking with these Neanderthals? At first sight, being ashamed of one’s parents is about conformity rather than hierarchy, but in the end, it’s all about the teen’s reputation and standing within the peer group.
