Family DevelopmentFamily Development

FamilyFamily

Key social institutionKey social institution CaregivingCaregiving SocializationSocialization

Definition?Definition? ““group of people related by blood, group of people related by blood,

marriage, or adoption”marriage, or adoption” Changing definitionChanging definition

StructuresStructures Blended familiesBlended families

Nuclear (co-residing)Nuclear (co-residing) Extended (do not co-reside)Extended (do not co-reside) Family of orientation (birth/adoptive)Family of orientation (birth/adoptive) Family of procreation (having own Family of procreation (having own

children)children)

Statistics CanadaStatistics Canada

Census FamilyCensus Family Married (legal, common-law) with or without Married (legal, common-law) with or without

never-married children, ornever-married children, or Lone parent with at least one never-married Lone parent with at least one never-married

childchild Economic FamilyEconomic Family

2 or more people related by blood, marriage, 2 or more people related by blood, marriage, common-law, adoptioncommon-law, adoption

Living in same householdLiving in same household

Stats CanStats Can

Private HouseholdPrivate Household Person or group of people who occupy a Person or group of people who occupy a

private dwellingprivate dwelling Family HouseholdFamily Household

Private household that contains at least one Private household that contains at least one census familycensus family

Non-Family HouseholdNon-Family Household Private household that consists of one person Private household that consists of one person

living alone or group of people who do not living alone or group of people who do not constitute a census familyconstitute a census family

Complexities of categorizingComplexities of categorizing Change over lifespanChange over lifespan

Problem in “co-residency” as defining Problem in “co-residency” as defining characteristic of familiescharacteristic of families

Why?Why? E.g., widowed woman living with E.g., widowed woman living with

granddaughter – family member but in “non-granddaughter – family member but in “non-family household”family household”

Family DevelopmentFamily Development

Family DevelopmentFamily Development

DynamicDynamic ReciprocityReciprocity ChangingChanging

Birth Rates in CanadaBirth Rates in Canada Dropping – Why?Dropping – Why?

EconomicsEconomics Delayed ParenthoodDelayed Parenthood

Average age at first birth increasingAverage age at first birth increasing

Increased percentage of women in Increased percentage of women in labour forcelabour force

Economics of ParenthoodEconomics of Parenthood

Family Life CycleFamily Life Cycle

Evelyn Mills Duval (1997)Evelyn Mills Duval (1997) 8 stages8 stages Relation to marital satisfactionRelation to marital satisfaction

Changing perceptions of equity (fairness)Changing perceptions of equity (fairness) Why?Why?

Robert Havinghurst (1953)Robert Havinghurst (1953) Family Developmental TasksFamily Developmental Tasks

Growing responsibilitiesGrowing responsibilities

Problems (Butler, Duval, Havinghurst Family Problems (Butler, Duval, Havinghurst Family Development models)Development models) Assumption of universalityAssumption of universality Increase in off-time childbearing (applicability to late Increase in off-time childbearing (applicability to late

life families?)life families?) Increased life expectancy, earlier retirement: need for Increased life expectancy, earlier retirement: need for

pre-, early-, and post-retirement stages?pre-, early-, and post-retirement stages?

Assumption of UniversalityAssumption of Universality

No accommodation of individual variationsNo accommodation of individual variations Increase in blended familiesIncrease in blended families Increase in lone-parent familiesIncrease in lone-parent families Reduced family sizeReduced family size Changing parental rolesChanging parental roles

Myths about families in the pastMyths about families in the past

Traditional nuclear familyTraditional nuclear family But: demographics of past generationsBut: demographics of past generations

High infant, child mortality ratesHigh infant, child mortality rates Maternal mortalityMaternal mortality Life expectancyLife expectancy

% People with one parent alive% People with one parent alive

Age of ParentAge of Parent Birth Year of Birth Year of childchild

18601860 19601960

4040 42%42% 82%82%

5050 16%16% 60%60%

6060 2%2% 23%23%

Multigenerational families rare in pastMultigenerational families rare in past Wealth of elderly family members Wealth of elderly family members

determined treatment/statusdetermined treatment/status

Structure of Aging FamiliesStructure of Aging Families

Marital status of males and femalesMarital status of males and females Middle to late adulthoodMiddle to late adulthood

Males

Females

Gender differencesGender differences

Older men more likely to be married than Older men more likely to be married than older womenolder women

Widowhood “expected life event” for Widowhood “expected life event” for women in late adulthoodwomen in late adulthood Greater life expectancyGreater life expectancy Age difference between spousesAge difference between spouses

Men more likely than women to remarryMen more likely than women to remarry Demographic reality: fewer unmarried older Demographic reality: fewer unmarried older

men men Sexist social norms: age differencesSexist social norms: age differences

DivorceDivorce More commonly experienced life eventMore commonly experienced life event

Data unclear with growing incidence of common-law Data unclear with growing incidence of common-law marriagesmarriages

Preceding cohabitation more likely to end in divorcePreceding cohabitation more likely to end in divorce Negative economic consequences for women, Negative economic consequences for women,

not as likely for mennot as likely for men Remarriage after divorce decreasingRemarriage after divorce decreasing

Partly due to increases in cohabitationPartly due to increases in cohabitation Men more likely to remarry after divorceMen more likely to remarry after divorce

Current elderly not likely to have experienced Current elderly not likely to have experienced cohabitation, divorce, remarriagecohabitation, divorce, remarriage Implications for future generations?Implications for future generations? More complexity, financial security?More complexity, financial security?

Living Living ArrangementsArrangements Living with Living with

spousespouse 60% elderly 60% elderly

menmen 40% women40% women

Living aloneLiving alone Women: 30-Women: 30-

50%50% Men: 13-20%Men: 13-20%

Increases in female life expectancyIncreases in female life expectancy Declining fertilityDeclining fertility Economic feasibility not a significant factorEconomic feasibility not a significant factor

But pension improvements may be importantBut pension improvements may be important Normative changes related to Normative changes related to

independence, privacy, individualismindependence, privacy, individualism

Multigenerational LivingMultigenerational Living

Approximately 13% of Canadian eldersApproximately 13% of Canadian elders Influence of ethnic originInfluence of ethnic origin

Foreign-born, more likely to live in 3-Foreign-born, more likely to live in 3-generation householdgeneration household

““beanpole” familiesbeanpole” families 4-5 generations 4-5 generations Not commonNot common Late childbearing age: age gap between Late childbearing age: age gap between

generationsgenerations

Sandwich generationSandwich generation Needs of dependent children and elderly Needs of dependent children and elderly

parentsparents Not commonplace in CanadaNot commonplace in Canada

Empty nest vs. “cluttered nest”Empty nest vs. “cluttered nest” Children leaving home at older agesChildren leaving home at older ages Adult children more likely to “boomerang” Adult children more likely to “boomerang”

backback

GrandparenthoodGrandparenthood

Majority of elderlyMajority of elderly Contribution to grandchildrenContribution to grandchildren Gender differences: affectGender differences: affect

Affect differencesAffect differences

Women more likely to be grandparents for Women more likely to be grandparents for longer timelonger time

Grandparent-child tie more emotionally close Grandparent-child tie more emotionally close among grandmothersamong grandmothers

Mediated by middle generation: opposite effectsMediated by middle generation: opposite effects Divorce in middle generation: possible denial of Divorce in middle generation: possible denial of

contactcontact Grandparents as “parents” if middle generation Grandparents as “parents” if middle generation

unable to care for childrenunable to care for children

WidowhoodWidowhood

““expected” life eventexpected” life event Associated with financial difficultyAssociated with financial difficulty StressStress

Change in identityChange in identity New relationships with children, other family New relationships with children, other family

members, friends, other menmembers, friends, other men

Adult sibling relationshipsAdult sibling relationships

Importance varies over life courseImportance varies over life course Later lifeLater life

Growth in importanceGrowth in importance Influenced by Influenced by

geographical proximitygeographical proximity Gender (sisters closer)Gender (sisters closer) Marital status (more importance to never-Marital status (more importance to never-

married)married) Parental status (more important to childless)Parental status (more important to childless)

Family ConflictFamily Conflict

Elder AbuseElder Abuse Extreme form of conflict/elder maltreatmentsExtreme form of conflict/elder maltreatments Physical, psychological, financialPhysical, psychological, financial Not as common as other formsNot as common as other forms 4-8 percent victims of abuse/neglect in home 4-8 percent victims of abuse/neglect in home

and institutional settingsand institutional settings FamilyFamily

• Spouses more likely to be perpetrators than Spouses more likely to be perpetrators than childrenchildren

• Men more likely to be physically abusiveMen more likely to be physically abusive• Women more likely to be abusive through neglectWomen more likely to be abusive through neglect

Violence against elderlyViolence against elderly

Related to four factorsRelated to four factors Problems of abuser (mental illness, drug Problems of abuser (mental illness, drug

addiction)addiction) Dependency of abuser on victim (especially Dependency of abuser on victim (especially

financial dependency)financial dependency) Social isolationSocial isolation External stresses on family membersExternal stresses on family members

Perpetuation of wife abuse into later lifePerpetuation of wife abuse into later life Need for social solutionsNeed for social solutions

ReviewReview

Cognitive developmentCognitive development• Intelligence: change, stability, growthIntelligence: change, stability, growth• Distinction: cross-sectional vs. longitudinalDistinction: cross-sectional vs. longitudinal

Social developmentSocial development• theories, friendship, mate selection, sexualitytheories, friendship, mate selection, sexuality

Family developmentFamily development• structure, changes, relationsstructure, changes, relations