Fathers’ and mothers’ value of children and socialization values: Results from an Italian study

Parents’ value of children (VOC), which is the whole of the functions that children serve or the needs that they fulfill for parents, and socialization values, namely the values parents would like their children to endorse, have both been recognized to play prominent roles in shaping parental practices. For the first time, this study analyzed the relation between parents’ VOC and their socialization values in order to understand whether the reasons for having children influence the values that guide parents in the upbringing of their children, while paying attention to possible differences between fathers and mothers. Participants were 381 parental couples, with a child aged between 15 and 19 years, all living in Northern Italy. Fathers and mother were asked to complete the Value of Children Questionnaire and the Portrait Values Questionnaire. Data analysis is still in progress and results will be discussed in relation to parent-child relationship and socialization process.