culture clash

The following is an article I found about teen culture here in Chile. The topics of "los tribus urbanos" (urban tribes or groups) and "carretes"(huge, crazy parties) dominate conversation in the news and consequently around the dinner table. While it is expected that the teenage years bring rebellion and parent-child quarrels, the rebellion I've observed here in Chile is total, complete. Maybe it has to do with the fact that most children live with their parents well into their 20s, sometimes until they marry. Or maybe because the country is still dealing with its not-so-distant history. 

When Pinochet took over in 1973, he ordered sex-ed materials destroyed and schools just simply stopped talking about "it." As it stands in 2009, not much has changed. While sex-ed is included in schools, my host brothers tell me it is infrequent and very general. Add that to the obsession and constant connection with the internet, and the rebellion isn't all that surprising. Nonetheless, it is no less shocking.

The article is a couple years old but nonetheless puts to words what I've been observing and pondering the past few months in the parks, malls, bars and among my students at Duoc.

NY Times: In Tangle of Young Lips, A Sex Rebellion in Chile