Affective symbolization of the parent-child relationship in italian families: the potential role of gratitude

Scientific literature reveals the central role of gratitude in the relationship between children and their parents. Li (2016) suggests that chores may play a key role in gratitude development among children, which leads to a closer parent-child bond. Following on from this suggestion, this study explores the affective symbolization of Italian families about parentchild relationship and the potential role of chores in the experience of gratitude. Fifty-eight adolescents (aged 12 to 19) and ninety-seven parents were administered a semi-structured interview, investigating the following areas: expression of love; moral reasoning; discipline; chores; expression of gratitude. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed through Emotional Text Analysis. The analysis detected six clusters of words (CL). CL1 (17.8%) refers to a relation based on an unspoken agreement: behaving well is traded for family cohesion. In CL2 (25%) parent-child relationship is symmetric; problems are solved by peaceful negotiation. In CL3 (13.3%) parent-child relationship is asymmetric, based on a strong discipline; CL4 (12.4%) refers to self and family care through chores as repetitive and obsessive rituals. In CL5 (18.2%) the support function embodied by adolescents in the family is a way to face the world outside, experienced as hostile and overwhelming. CL6 (13.3%) refers to parents’ feeling of gratitude towards the adolescents, and the transmission of moral values from one generation to the next as a way for living forever. The results highlighted that chores respond to the family’s need to take care of the relationship between parents and children, protecting it from the anguish projected on the world outside. The transmission of moral values responds to the unconscious phantasy of living beyond death. Gratitude seems to be the feeling of relief deriving from the satisfaction of those phantasies.