Abstract
Subcultural differences in the types of stressors, coping strategies, and control beliefs reported by thirty-two 10- to 14-year-old Egyptian girls from middle-class, countryside, and inner-city backgrounds were investigated. Girls were interviewed about the types of stressors they encountered in different life domains, their coping responses in dealing with these stressors, and their general control beliefs. A translated version of Connell's Multidimensional Measure of Children's Perceptions of Control (MMCPC) was administered to the middle-class and inner-city girls. All groups differed significantly in (a) the types of stressors reported in various life domains and (b) reported life control. Middle-class and inner-city girls showed different patterns of control beliefs on the MMCPC. The implications of these findings for the study of stress and coping from the cross-cultural perspective are discussed.