FRHD 2280 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Midlife Crisis, Blue-Collar Worker, Casual Dating
18 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Week 7: Family Relationships
Review Question: Larger high schools have some advantages over smaller schools. One
advantage of a larger school is:
Answer: A more diverse range of classes
Review Question: Secondary education in most European countries includes:
Answer: College, vocational, professional
Things are Changing
➔The family still remains a crucial part of an adolescent’s life
➔The lives of adolescents become broader
➔Parents are changing as well (transition)
➔Some of the changes we noticed in the relationships with our parents:
◆More respect, adult like
◆More freedom to make choices
➔Interactive system
➔Families form complex social systems
➔Each family member has a direct influence on each of the other family members
➔Each interaction between 2 family members has an indirect influence on the third
member
Family Systems Approach:
➔Families form complex systems
◆Reciprocal relationships
● Relationships themselves influence each other
➔A system is a whole made up of interactive parts
➔Made up of subsystems
◆Diateic relationships, 3 or more people
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
➔Two key principles:
◆1. Subsystems influence one another
◆2. Change results in a period of Disequilibrium
Parents at Midlife
➔Empty Nest Syndrome
◆Adjustments when youngest child leaves the home
◆Fact or Fiction?
◆Most people can actually handle it quite easily
➔Midlife Crisis
◆Re-examination and change
◆Around the age of 40
◆Fact or fiction?
◆Majority of people don’t, some people believe it is the peak of life
◆Job satisfaction, status, salary and power peak (White collar jobs)
◆Marital problems decline
➔Men in blue collar professions
◆Job satisfaction declines
➔Only ¼ of divorces after the age of 40
◆More emotionally and financially difficult
➔For those who go through a “midlife crisis”
◆Negatively impacts relationships with their children
Sibling Relationships
➔Five common patterns:
◆1. Caregiver relationship
◆2. Buddy relationship
◆3. Critical relationship
◆4. Rival relationship
◆5. Casual relationship
Caregiver relationship
➔1 or more siblings play a parental function
➔More common with older sister and younger siblings in most Western cultures
➔This is the most common in traditional cultures
Buddy Sibling Relationship
➔Between siblings where they treat each other as friends
➔Common in adolescence
➔Include them in the list of people who are the most important in their lives
➔Close, but not as close as parents and friends
➔Traditional cultures: Same gender siblings are closer
Critical Sibling Relationship
➔High levels of conflict and teasing
➔These types of relationships very common in Western, North American cultures
➔There is more frequent conflict reported between siblings than parents, friends
➔Conflict tends to be less in adolescence than in childhood due to them spending less
time together
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Rival Sibling Relationship
➔Compete against one another and measure success
➔Conflicts tend to be low, and uncommon in traditional cultures due to age being the
determinant of dominance
Casual Sibling Relationship
➔Little to do with one another
➔Often happens during a phase of adolescence, spend more time with friends or working
➔Could be temporary, it is possible they will become closer later in life
Only Children
➔Tend to be friendly, competent, and well adjusted
➔Account for nearly 50% of the Canadian population
➔What accounts for the positive outcomes?
◆1. Not having to share their parents’ attention
◆2. Dealing with peers as equals/develop social skills
Extended Family Relationships
Parenting Styles
➔Practices and their effects
➔Two dimensions of parenting
◆1. Demandingness (ex. control)
◆2. Responsiveness (ex. Warmth)
● Degree to which parents express love and concern
Baumrind’s Parenting Style - North American, Middle Class
Authoritative Parenting
➔Responsive and demanding
◆Clear standards and goals
◆Explain reasons for rules
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Review question: larger high schools have some advantages over smaller schools. Review question: secondary education in most european countries includes: The family still remains a crucial part of an adolescent"s life. Some of the changes we noticed in the relationships with our parents: Each family member has a direct influence on each of the other family members. Each interaction between 2 family members has an indirect influence on the third member. A system is a whole made up of interactive parts. Adjustments when youngest child leaves the home. Most people can actually handle it quite easily. Majority of people don"t, some people believe it is the peak of life. Job satisfaction, status, salary and power peak (white collar jobs) Only of divorces after the age of 40. For those who go through a midlife crisis . 1 or more siblings play a parental function. More common with older sister and younger siblings in most western cultures.
