Latins, Catholics and from the far south: Argentinian adolescents and their parents

This paper examines the answers given by a random sample of 341 15- to 19-year old Argentinian adolescents, both male and female, in the 10th and 12th grades of high school in Paraná, to questions focusing on their relationship with their parents and formed part of a comprehensive survey on various aspects of their socio-emotional development. Despite the fact that the individuals belong to a different geographical and cultural environment, the findings coincide with those from countries such as the U.S.A., Great Britain, Spain and Australia. Parents are the most important persons in the teenagers' emotional life; they are still identification models for them and neither their friends, partners nor other adults displace them from their central position. The bond is perceived as positive and the satisfaction rests on the support they give. There are disagreement areas hinging on issues such as school performance, time-table for outings, and overcontrol, but there is agreement on moral, religious and political values. Several statistically significant differences in the answers provided by both genders and in the perception of the maternal and paternal roles were found.