This paper presents a descriptive analysis of family structure, gender roles of parents and children and cultural patterns of immigrant families in Spain. Their study came from a survey of students aged 12 to 17 years in Zaragoza city. It presents the family as an agent who is torn between reproduction and social change. On the one hand, this agent transmits values and behaviors that in some cases perpetuate traditional gender roles, but on the other hand, is influenced by the social changes of the host society, specially by other agents such as school and productive work. The findings suggest that immigrant children have different social positions respect to their parents, the host society and gender relations depending on the influence of cultural patterns of the society of origin.

immigrant families Family structure Teenagers Cultural patterns Gender roles

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