Does a Mediterranean Model of Family Functioning in the Perception of Italian and Spanish Adolescents Exist? A Cross-National Study

Abstract

The current study explored the influence of belonging to a different areas, South of Italy and Spain, on perception of parenting and family functioning adolescents in order to highlight the similarities and differences among two samples and verify if Mediterranean model of family exists". Empirical evidence of the existence of a Mediterranean family model has been conducted to verify which common and differentiating features exist in the perception of family ties among adolescents. Data highlighted that adolescents belonging to these areas report similar levels in different component of familial ties that can be defined as "Links and

Recalled parental bonding interacts with oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism in modulating anxiety and avoidance in adult relationships

“…Environmental sensitiveness due to rs53576 allelic variation partially contributed to the explanation of the differences between the two groups, described by the country of origin, but results have a stronger evidence only for the Italian sample. This might reflect the fact that, as aforementioned, Italian families tend to have greater levels of emotional bonding expressed 24 . In fact, evidence in literature reports that G-carriers for rs53576 are considered to be more susceptible to environmental factors 27,35 .…”

“…This can be explained, to a certain extent, through the lens of the cultural context and the influence it exerts on the formation of familial bonds in the respective countries. As aforementioned, Italian families present stronger emotional connections 24,50 and commonly the mother represents the relational core of the family, especially during late childhood and adolescence 51 , which corresponds to the period assessed by the Parental Bonding Instrument. As only the maternal dimensions differ between the two cultural samples, we can affirm that our first hypothesis is partially confirmed.…”

“…In Italy, which is configured within individualistic countries, family is seen as an expanded network of relationships and ties, where a lot of attention is given to the child. The relationship that forms between parent and child tends to be supportive and encouraging towards independence, presenting high levels of emotional bonding 24 . On the other hand, Singapore is described as a multicultural city, comprised of a majority of Chinese, Indian and Malay families 25 .…”

Parental attachment among Chinese, Italian, and Costa Rican adolescents: A cross-cultural study

“…Different from China, freedom and autonomy are also cherished in this country, involving a focus on personal and family affairs, which have the priority over social welfare (Keller et al, 2004). Regarding Italy, a family orientation is present to some extent but not so fundamental as in the aforementioned countries (Rabaglietti, Vacirca, Zucchetti, & Ciairano, 2012), and attention is also paid to the rights of children in a two-way parent-child relationship (Scabini, Marta, & Lanz, 2006;Yeh & Bedford, 2004 from parents, who at the same time encourage their children to be autonomous and independent (Casiglia, Lo Coco, & Zappulla, 1998;Laudani, Giovanni, Lo Cascio, Pace, & Cacioppo, 2014). High parental control and authority are the cores of Chinese parenting, and such parenting style may reduce adolescents' attachment to their parents (Cai et al, 2013).…”

Are there similar or divergent transitions to adulthood in a Mediterranean context? A cross-national comparison of Italy and Spain

“…Moreover, household size is much larger, and a high percentage of the population lives in expanded households. In fact, in their late teens or early 20s, many youngsters live with their parents, either full time or part time, and more and more young people continue to do so until late in their 20s or even their 30s ( Beyers & Goossens, 2008 ; Laudani, Guzzo, Lo Cascio, Pace, & Cacioppo, 2014 ; Pirrone, Nicolosi, Passanisi, & Di Nuovo, 2015 ). Not only do late adolescents live with their parents very often, they also refer to their parents as important sources of support ( Dotterer, Hoffman, Crouter, & McHale, 2008 ).…”