Abstract

STENGEL, Márcia. The use of authority in families with adolescent children. Psicol. rev. (Belo Horizonte) [online]. 2011, vol.17, n.3, pp.502-521. ISSN 1677-1168.

Important changes have been occurring within the contemporary family, changes that have become more visible in the adolescence of children. A point of impact of these changes is located in the paternal-filial relationship. In this scenario, the use of authority has been perceived as increasingly complex, considering the challenges and dilemmas that arise. From a qualitative study based on in depth interviews with parents of teenagers, married and separated, from the middle social layer, this article discusses how this use of authority has been performed and transformed. As one of the tasks of this phase is the construction of adult identity, the adolescent must relinquish the roles for children, covering the abandonment of one kind of relationship established with parents. This process demands changes, requiring adjustment of the rules and, therefore, adjustment in the exercise of authority. In this context, parents need to find ways of maintaining order in a more egalitarian family context

Keywords : Family; adolescence; authority; parents of teenager.

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