ABSTRACT
The establishment of first romantic relationships is a central and almost universal developmental task of adolescence, in which close asymmetric intergenerational relationships are complemented by close symmetric relationships to the other sex. Because the relationship between romantic relationships and social reproduction is close, it is patently obvious that institutional regulations on the societal level as well as investments in the social control of developmental task on the part of parents are a fundamental part of the socialization of offspring. Knowledge about effective contraceptive methods and about life-course scripts that separate romantic relationships from parenthood has spread throughout the world. Following Berry's typology of 'acculturation strategies', the dimensions selected were operationalised two-dimensionally, comprising both the culture of origin and the culture of the receiving society. Parental influence on their adolescent children can be direct or indirect. A direct influence consists of surveillance and control of behavior. Indirect influence comes from being an accepted role model available for imitation by the adolescent.
