Life Course Perspective

1. Life Course Perspective Bengston, V. L., & Allen, K. R. (1993). The life course perspective applied to families over time. In P. G. Boss, W. J. Doherty, R. LaRossa, W. R. Schumm, & S. K. Steinmetz (Eds.), Sourcebook of family theories and methods: A contextual approach (pp. 469-499). New York: Plenum Press.

2. Introduction: • To Study Families Over Time we Need to • Move beyond the individual life span metaphor. • Move beyond family level of analysis. • Examine intimate connections in families and long-term relationships in terms of • social structure, • and history. • Explore socially constructed meanings which result from • transitions • and communication. • Refine concepts, methods, and theories to explain change over time within families. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

3. Basic Themes of the Life Course Perspective • Time • Context • Process • Meaning Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

4. Five Specific Points: • Time influences relationships in three ways: • Life experiences influence relationships. • Family events and family transitions influence individuals and interactions. • Historical time -- events in the broader social context -- influence roles and values. • Individuals are influenced by social context • Social structures (e.g., racism, sexism, homophobia) influence individual development. • Individuals actively interact with social context and structure. This produces a reciprocal influence between families/individuals and social context via socially constructed meaning systems. • Social structures change and this change influences individuals and relationships. • There is an interplay of micro- and macro- levels of development. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

5. Five Specific Points (cont.): • Research is dynamic, focusing on both process and change: they are a dialectic. • It is important to consider diversity. • Research should be multi-disciplinary. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

6. Historical Origins and Research Traditions • The Human Development Tradition: explicitly studied family influence on individual development • Life Span Developmental Psychology: emphasizes individual development and behavior. • Family Development Theory: Suggested Three Levels of Analysis • Individual-psychological. • Interactional-associational. • Social-institutional. • Sociology of Age Stratification: macrosocial perspective focusing on the influence of age. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

7. Historical Origins and Research Traditions (cont.) • Social-Historical Studies of the Family: • Emphasizes changing social nature of individual time and family time within changing historical context. • Transitions are imbedded in history: broad change influences families which, in turn, reciprocally influences society. • The Life Course Perspective -- A New “Paradigm”? Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

8. Assumptions and Central Concepts (see Table 19-2). • The “Multiple Time Clocks” Assumption • Ontogenetic time and ontogenetic events • Historical time and historical events • The Social Ecology Assumption • Social structural context • Social meanings • Cultural contexts • The interplay of macro-micro levels of analysis • The Diachronic Assumption • Homeostasis and adaptation • Interactions of age, period, and cohort effects • Feedback Over Time among Structures and stages of development • The Heterogeneity Assumption • Diversity and differences • Aging diversity • Structural diversity Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

9. Table 19-2 Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

10. Table 19-2 (cont.) Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

11. Table 19-2 (cont.) Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

12. Table 19-2 (cont.) Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

13. Table 19-3: Changes in American Family as the Result of Improved Life Expectancy Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

14. Figure 19-2: Influence of Intra- and Intergenerational Processes Problem Family Relationships A Problem Behavior B Problem Family Relationships C Problem Behavior A: Intragenerational Hypothesis A,B: Intergenerational Hypothesis C: Life Course Development Hypothesis Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson