ADOLESCENTS CLOSENESS WITH PARENTS, SIBLINGS, AND FRIENDS IN 3 COUNTRIES - CANADA, BELGIUM, AND ITALY

This study compared interpersonal relationships of adolescents from Ca nada, Belgium, and Italy. The sample of 377 subjects was composed almo st equally of boys and girls, grouped into three age groups ranging fr om 11 to 18 years. Each subject participated in a semistructured inter view designed to examine the levels of closeness with the mother fathe r; siblings, and close friends. The study revealed important discrepan cies among the adolescents fr om the thr ee countries. Family was foun d to occupy a more central role in the relational world of Italian ado lescents, whereas friends were found to occupy a more important place for Canadian youth. Belgian adolescents were found to adopt a middle p osition between these two extremes. Variations in cultural context and cultural practices are explored as a possible interpretation of these differences. The study also revealed significant consistencies across the three countries: the importance of friends in the relational life of adolescents, the privileged position of the mother in the family, and the distant position of the father.