Many cross-cultural studies have been criticized for imposing instruments on peoples of other cultures as if the constructed measure were universal. This study attempts to establish a cross-cultural equivalence of measurement and construct validity in an examination of the functions of social networks in Zimbabwean, Chinese, and American societies. A sample of adolescents from each country completed assessments describing their perceptions of their familial and extra-familial social networks. The dimensions underlying adolescents' perceptions of their parents were quite similar not only when comparing mothers and fathers within a culture, but also when comparing the roles of parents across the three cultures. African mothers and fathers were least similar to a pan-cultural model, while Chinese and American parents were considered to be closer to the model. Other parental similarities and differences within a given culture or between cultures were also found. (MDM)