The availability and intergenerational structure of family relationships

Abstract

For many decades after Parsons (1943) launched his nuclear family theory, family research was preoccupied with the viability of the modern family. Theorists assumed that disintegration of the family was an unavoidable result of industrialization and urbanization. Mancini and Blieszner (1989) summarize the argument as follows: 'scientists such as Wirth, Park, and Burgess believed that the diversity of urban life necessarily weakened primary relationship cohesion and that the accompanying social and geographic mobility was not compatible withextended family relationships' (p. 278). Many studies focused on the question of whether members of different family generations were becoming estranged and isolated from one another, and more generally, whether families were disintegrating. Mancini and Blieszner comment; 'Unfortunately, research continues to pursue this line of work, even though the question has long been answered'. Research has repeatedly confirmed that older adults are not alienated from their families (Troll, Miller, & Atchley, 1979).