‘As long as it's good’: An intergenerational family perspective of bridging gaps between reality and ideality of second couplehood as a problem and as a solution

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 716-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHAYA KOREN ◽  
SHIRAN SIMHI

ABSTRACTSecond couplehood in old age following widowhood or divorce is a phenomenon developing with the increase in life expectancy and is yet to be accepted as part of the normative ageing process. The aim of this paper is to examine how family members of three generations perceive second couplehood in old age as a new phenomenon within a changing society and a dynamic family structure. The multigenerational families of 19 second-couplehood dyads (a total of 38 multigenerational families) were recruited using criterion sampling. The second-couplehood dyads were composed of men who repartnered at age 65+ and women at 60+, with children and grandchildren from a lifelong marriage. We tape recorded and transcribed verbatim 107 semi-structured qualitative interviews with older partners, their adult children and grandchildren. Analysis was based on grounded theory and dyadic-analysis principles adapted to families. Two main themes were found that presented gaps between reality and ideality experienced by the participants regarding second couplehood: as a problem through its disadvantages, and as a solution through its advantages. The gaps in both themes were bridged by the account: ‘as long as it's good’. Findings are discussed in the context of modernisation theory, the lifecourse and the family lifecycle perspectives relating to changes in family structure and ambivalence and how to deal with them on the macro, mezzo and micro levels.

1977 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alida G. Silverman ◽  
Beatrice H. Kahn ◽  
Gary Anderson

The place of older persons in the family structure must be recognized for they are as involved in, and affected by, family dynamics as are younger people


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 55-68
Author(s):  
Jolanta Kurkiewicz ◽  
Oskar Knapik

Abstract.The aim of the paper is to demonstrate differences and similarities in population structures of the poviats of Małopolskie voivodship in the years 2010‒2030, with particular attention to population ageing. To describe the ageing process two types of indicators are used, namely conventional and prospective measures. As conventional ones we assume the percentage of the population aged 65 and over, and the old-age dependency ratio expressed as the number of persons aged 65 and over per 100 persons aged 20‒64. The same aspects of population ageing are expressed by a new group of measures based on a fresh concept for measuring age, the so-called prospective age. Unlike chronological (retrospective) age, prospective age takes into account the changes in life expectancy that occur in the period under consideration. Using the data coming from Demographic Years Book 2011, and from Demographic Projection 2008‒2011 (www.stat.gov.pl) some types of population ageing patterns in Małopolskie voivodship by poviats until 2030 are demonstrated. They count both differences in population ageing of poviats in Małopolskie voivodship and the dynamics of this process in view of conventional and prospective measures. The general features of demographic ageing in Małopolskie voivodship in 2010‒2030 are formulated in conclusions.


2018 ◽  
pp. 126-142
Author(s):  
Michał Kuzdak

The author discusses the topic of families, especially incomplete. The work is about the disorganization of the family structure, showing its causes and history. The article describes the dangers of modern family and relations on the parentchild line. The author refers to economic emigration as one of the reasons for the loosening of family ties and the cause of incomplete families.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Anne Skevik Grødem ◽  
Ragni Hege Kitterød

Abstract Images of what retirement is and ought to be are changing. Older workers are being encouraged to work for longer, at the same time, older adults increasingly voice expectations of a ‘third age’ of active engagement and new life prospects. In this article, we draw on the literature on older workers’ work patterns and retirement transitions (noting push/pull/stay/stuck/jump factors), and on scholarship on the changing social meaning of old age, most importantly the notions of a ‘third’ and ‘fourth’ age. The analysis is based on qualitative interviews with 28 employees in the private sector in Norway, aged between 55 and 66 years. Based on the interviews, we propose three ideal-typical approaches to the work–retirement transition: ‘the logic of deadline’, ‘the logic of negotiation’ and ‘the logic of averting retirement’. The ideal-types are defined by the degree to which informants assume agency in the workplace, their orientation towards work versus retirement and the degree to which they expect to exercise agency in retirement. We emphasise how retirement decisions are informed by notions of the meaning of ageing, while also embedded in relationships with employers and partners.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Booysen ◽  
Ferdi Botha ◽  
Edwin Wouters

AbstractSocial determinants of health frameworks are standard tools in public health. These frameworks for the most part omit a crucial factor: the family. Socioeconomic status moreover is a prominent social determinant of health. Insofar as family functioning is poorer in poor families and family structure and functioning are linked to health, it is critical to consider the pathways between these four constructs. In this correspondence, we reflect on how empirical studies of this conceptual nexus mirror two causal models. We conclude by reflecting on future directions for research in this field.


1995 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Douglas ◽  
Beth M. Olson
Keyword(s):  

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarissa Sammut Scerri ◽  
Angela Abela ◽  
Arlene Vetere

This paper attempts to illuminate some of the ethical dilemmas of a clinician/researcher interviewing women about a sensitive topic- their experience of having witnessed domestic violence in the family they grew up in, as part of a grounded theory study. Vignettes are presented to illustrate the self-reflexive process of the researcher and how she understood the effects of the interview process on her and the participants. The authors argue that doing in-depth qualitative research interviewing is an intervention in the life of the participants, especially, but not only, when the researchers are clinically-trained. However, this clinical training may also be an important resource from which to draw from, to act ethically and understand some of the complexity of the interaction between researcher and participants.


2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110188
Author(s):  
Yifei Hou ◽  
Marissa Rurka ◽  
Siyun Peng

As Chinese households are becoming smaller with increasing numbers of adult children and older parents living apart, the extent to which patterns of parental support reflect traditional gender dynamics is under debate. Integrating theories of sibling compensation with ceremonial giving, we tested whether helping non-coresident parents in China is affected by sibship size and how these patterns depend on own and sibling(s)’ gender using a sample of 4,359 non-coresident parent-child dyads nesting within 3,285 focal adult children from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2013. Opposite to patterns in the United States and Europe, we found substitutions of daughters with sons—having more brothers was associated with daughters’ reduced probabilities and hours of helping. Sons’ patterns of helping were independent of number of brothers and sisters in the family, consistent with the theory of ceremonial giving. These findings reflect the dominance of traditional family dynamics despite changes in family structure.


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