by Marilyn Coleman, Ph.D. and Lawrence Ganong, Ph.D., University of Missouri
Most Americans agree that "adult children should take care of their parents when they get old." But suppose that your parents divorced when you were 10 years old and your mother moved far away. Would that affect how you would feel about helping her? Would that make a difference to you?
by Judith A. Seltzer, Professor, Department of Sociology and California Center for Population Research, UCLA. seltzerj@ucla.edu
I believe that we need new U.S. data to answer the following questions: When do parents and adult children help each other? Why do they help? How do they help? And what difference do intergenerational ties make for individual family members?
by Joshua Coleman, Ph.D., Co-Chair of the Council on Contemporary Families, www.drjoshuacoleman.com
Despite the common assumption that parental estrangement only occurs in those cases where there was severe child maltreatment, plenty of parents have little to no contact with their adult children due to reasons unrelated to poor parenting.
by Ingrid Arnet Connidis, Ph.D., the University of Western Ontario
Occasionally a concept comes along that resonates with the research community. A recent example is the idea of ambivalence. Despite some reservations, an impressive array of studies has used ambivalence in creative and thoughtful ways to enhance our understanding of intergenerational relations.
by Marie LaHaye, M.S. candidate and graduate research assistant, Project HOME, Family & Developmental Studies Program, Colorado State University
Imagine you have just retired from teaching and are looking forward to retirement and pursuing your own interests. Then, one afternoon, you receive a call from social services that your daughter has been arrested, so her two children are being placed in your care. What will you do?
by Raeann R. Hamon, Ph.D., CFLE, Distinguished Professor of Family Science and Gerontology; Chair, Department of Human Development and Family Science, Messiah College, rhamon@messiah.edu
Want to enliven your classroom and help students to develop intergenerational relationships? Consider intergenerational service learning!
by Christina M. Bobesky, M.S., doctoral student in Child and Family Studies at Syracuse University
Political and economic turmoil have challenged the stability of family life and national heritage in Ukraine for several decades. In an effort to highlight my Ukrainian roots and shed light on a unique group of White ethnics, I discuss intergenerational relationships, such as that of grandparent and grandchild, within the context of Ukrainian-American culture.
