The aim of this study was to investigate parental ethnotheories of mothers living in the capital city and in the countryside of Santa Catarina State. In each cultural environment, fifty mothers were interviewed based on scales that evaluated their beliefs about childrearing practices, socialization goals and degree of familism. Results from the capital demonstrated a predominance of autonomous-related elements for practices and familism, whereas in terms of socialization goals, mothers valued the autonomy of the child. In the countryside, relational aspects were identified for socialization goals and familism. However, for beliefs about childrearing practices it has been noted emphasis on autonomy. The conclusion was that both contexts are characterized by an autonomous-related self, although with different emphases according to the dimension investigated.
Parental ethnotheories; Beliefs about childrearing practices; Socialization goals; Familism
