Family and Kinship

Families play an important role in Chilean society. In Chile, the nuclear family, with only parents and children living under the same roof, is typical. The nuclear family is supported, however, by a network of relatives who create an extended family. In the absence of relatives, this traditional structure of family life has changed in Canada. Kinship has lost much of its importance and close friends replace the non-resident relatives in providing family support.

The traditional structure of the Chilean family was patriarchal. Most of the power and the prestige within the family were concentrated in the husband, and both wife and children were subordinate to him. In the home there has been a division of labour in which certain activities, such as cooking or looking after the children, are clearly defined as female activities and not considered appropriate for men. These patterns vary according to class. Within the middle and upper-middle classes there is a more egalitarian system and greater male participation in home activities, while in the lower class there are pronounced patterns based on the patriarchal system. Gender inequality is, however, being modified in Canada as a result of new social awareness of women’s issues. A more democratic family structure with greater participation on the part of women is emerging. Marriage is not limited to partners from the Chilean community. Many Chileans, specially those from the younger generations, establish relationships and marry people from other ethnic communities.

Within Chilean-Canadian families there is a certain degree of intergenerational conflict related to the different values and norms that govern the behaviour of parents and children. Children who have grown up in Canada tend to adopt the values of the community around them, while many parents are still loyal to the values of their Chilean culture. These differences produce problems of communication between parents and children, problems that sometimes create significant stresses and tensions within families. A typical area of disagreement is the issue of obedience. Respect for parents and obedience to them are expected in many traditional Chilean families. In general, the Canadian value system tends to be somewhat more permissive in these areas, and the assimilation of Canadian values by Chilean children creates tensions within the family.

Since a large segment of the Chilean community defines itself as politically leftist, many tend to be liberal on issues of social concern such as abortion, birth control, and politics.