Lifespan Dev

Jessica

Discussion 3.2 Family Life Cycle Application

            The Family Life Cycle is a complex concept that has had many different approaches due to verbiage, ages and stages, demographics, and life events.  Some research shows, “Most analyses of the family life cycle begin with a discussion of the first marriage…” (Glick, 1989, pg.123).  Other research shows the Family Life Cycle starting with “young singles” (Murphy, Staples, 1979, pg. 17) starting at the age of eighteen recent high school graduates.  Overall, the Family Life Cycle is the “approach to studying the family, and interdisciplinary approach, drawing from rural and urban sociology, child psychology, and human development” (Murphy, Staples, 1979, pg. 12).  It can also be simply described as an individual’s life through “growing up, establishing a family, rearing and launching children, experiencing empty nest periods, and eventually reaching the end of life” (Glick, 1989, pg. 123).  The study of the family life cycle was divided into “stages” from young, middle to old.

In early research the Family Life Cycle stages started with the young stage including, “young single, young married, young married with children, young divorced, and young divorced without children” (Murphy, Staples, 1979, pg. 16).  Also, according to Murphy, Staples (1979) the middle stage increased in age for both singles and married couples as well as children growing into adolescents, and independent adults.  The older stage concluded with older married and older unmarried due to divorce or widowing.  The Family Life Cycle changed over the years due to a decrease in marriage, increase in divorce, decrease in childbearing/childbearing at later ages, and overall change in society.  According to Glick, 1989, “If it were not for the extensive social changes that have occurred during the last several decades, the typical family life cycle would undoubtedly be about the same now as it was before the changes.”  Also changes regarding women in the workforce and more women going to college contributed to the changes even as early as the 1940s.  Regarding women in the workforce, “Among women, 16 and over, the rate has increased from 27% in 1940 to 38% in 1960 and up to 50% in 1986” (Glick, 1989, 127).

The Family Life Cycle is relevant for my life because with societal changes, my husband and I would not be considered a “traditional family”.  My husband’s family was very traditional, as his mother and father got married a few years after high school and conceived him shortly after marriage.  His aunts and uncles also got married in their early 20s.  We got married in our thirties and currently do not have children, which was very different 75 years ago and shows the societal change of the Family Life Cycle over the years.

The early some early data around the concept of the Family Life Cycle, would not be relevant to some diverse groups because those groups were not included in the research.  Today, the Family Life Cycle concept may be more relevant now, as society has changed and is more accepting of its view of “family” over time.   According to Ethnicity and the Family Life Cycle, “When we talk of families moving through the life cycle together, it is important to note how our clients themselves define ‘family’.  Black families tend to focus on a wide informal network of kin and community in their even broader definition of family which goes beyond blood ties to close long-time friends, who are considered family members” (McGoldrick, 1992, pg. 439).

Family Life Cycle impacts young adults because it now includes them more in the life cycle.  As the delay in marriage, decision to not have children, the plans to pursue a degree, enter the workforce, get married, and/or not marry at all are more common now than before. Young adults would benefit from this data and this research to show that their paths away from the “traditional” family cycle are more accepted depending on the culture and there are more options for the future than there were before.

References

Glick, P.C. (1989). The Family Life Cycle and Social Change.  Family Relations, 38(2), 123-129.  https://doi.org/10.2307/583663

McGoldrick, M. (1992). Ethnicity and the Family Life Cycle.  Family Business Review,  5(4), 437–459. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6248.1992.00437.x

Murphy, P. E. (1979). A Modernized Family Life Cycle.  Journal of Consumer Research, 6(1), 12-22.  https://doi.org/10.1086/208744

Trina

The family life cycle theory was first developed around 1960. It is one of many tools that can be used in marriage and family counseling. This theory uses the term " family life cycle" to describe the emotional and intellectual stages you pass through from childhood to your retirement years as a member of a family. In each stage, you face challenges in your family life that allow you to build or gain new skills of each stage helps you to move from one stage of development to the next. Not everyone passes through these stages smoothly. Issues such as sever illness, money problems, or the death of a loved one can affect how you pass through the stages. But if you miss skills in one stage, you can learn them in later stages ( Family Life Cycle Theory). 

Stages in the FLC are 

· Independence- The most critical stage of the FLC. As you enter young adulthood, you start to separate emotionally from your family. During this stage, you strive to become fully able to support yourself emotionally, physically, socially, and financially.

· Coupling- Using qualities gained in the independence stage, you can see if you can commit to a new family and a new way of life.

· Parenting- One of the most challenging phases of the FLC. during this stage, you'll need to communicate well, maintain your relationships, and solve problems.

· Launching adult children- This stage starts when your first child leaves home and ends with the " empty nest".

· Retirement or senior years- Retirement can be fulfilling and happy time. Welcoming new family members or seeing others leave your family is often a large part of this stage as your children have relationships or you become a grandparent ( Family Life Cycle Theory, 2023).

The FLC is not much relevant to me. because it is just me and I have done the independence stage. I support myself emotionally, physically, socially, and financially. I'm single, no kids. So those stages do not apply to me. and I have not reached my retirement years yet.

FLC and diverse family can influence parenting behavior in fundamental ways. Like schools you go to, neighborhoods you live in, and social networks, also affect parenting. Living conditions, hardships and discrimination is relevant to FLC (Family Life Cycle).

 The transition to adulthood is typically marketed by changes in relationships with family members, peers, and romantic partners. Accepting responsibility for one's actions, deciding on one's beliefs and values, establishing an equal relationship with parents, and becoming financially independent ( Ikeda, Y., 2021).

Family Life Cycle Theory, February 28th, 2023, Healthwise,  www.healthy.kaisepermanente.org

Family Life Cycle, Human Development, Portland State,  www.pdx.pressbooks.pub

Ikedai, Y.  A Scoping Review of the Factors that Influences Families; Ability or Capacity to Provide Young People with Emotional Support over the Transition to Adulthood. Frontiers,  www.frontiersin.org , October 14th, 2021 

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Jessica

Discussion 3.2 Family Life Cycle Application

            The Family Life Cycle is a complex concept that has had many different approaches due to verbiage, ages and stages, demographics, and life events.  Some research shows, “Most analyses of the family life cycle begin with a discussion of the first marriage…” (Glick, 1989, pg.123).  Other research shows the Family Life Cycle starting with “young singles” (Murphy, Staples, 1979, pg. 17) starting at the age of eighteen recent high school graduates.  Overall, the Family Life Cycle is the “approach to studying the family, and interdisciplinary approach, drawing from rural and urban sociology, child psychology, and human development” (Murphy, Staples, 1979, pg. 12).  It can also be simply described as an individual’s life through “growing up, establishing a family, rearing and launching children, experiencing empty nest periods, and eventually reaching the end of life” (Glick, 1989, pg. 123).  The study of the family life cycle was divided into “stages” from young, middle to old.

In early research the Family Life Cycle stages started with the young stage including, “young single, young married, young married with children, young divorced, and young divorced without children” (Murphy, Staples, 1979, pg. 16).  Also, according to Murphy, Staples (1979) the middle stage increased in age for both singles and married couples as well as children growing into adolescents, and independent adults.  The older stage concluded with older married and older unmarried due to divorce or widowing.  The Family Life Cycle changed over the years due to a decrease in marriage, increase in divorce, decrease in childbearing/childbearing at later ages, and overall change in society.  According to Glick, 1989, “If it were not for the extensive social changes that have occurred during the last several decades, the typical family life cycle would undoubtedly be about the same now as it was before the changes.”  Also changes regarding women in the workforce and more women going to college contributed to the changes even as early as the 1940s.  Regarding women in the workforce, “Among women, 16 and over, the rate has increased from 27% in 1940 to 38% in 1960 and up to 50% in 1986” (Glick, 1989, 127).

The Family Life Cycle is relevant for my life because with societal changes, my husband and I would not be considered a “traditional family”.  My husband’s family was very traditional, as his mother and father got married a few years after high school and conceived him shortly after marriage.  His aunts and uncles also got married in their early 20s.  We got married in our thirties and currently do not have children, which was very different 75 years ago and shows the societal change of the Family Life Cycle over the years.

The early some early data around the concept of the Family Life Cycle, would not be relevant to some diverse groups because those groups were not included in the research.  Today, the Family Life Cycle concept may be more relevant now, as society has changed and is more accepting of its view of “family” over time.   According to Ethnicity and the Family Life Cycle, “When we talk of families moving through the life cycle together, it is important to note how our clients themselves define ‘family’.  Black families tend to focus on a wide informal network of kin and community in their even broader definition of family which goes beyond blood ties to close long-time friends, who are considered family members” (McGoldrick, 1992, pg. 439).

Family Life Cycle impacts young adults because it now includes them more in the life cycle.  As the delay in marriage, decision to not have children, the plans to pursue a degree, enter the workforce, get married, and/or not marry at all are more common now than before. Young adults would benefit from this data and this research to show that their paths away from the “traditional” family cycle are more accepted depending on the culture and there are more options for the future than there were before.

References

Glick, P.C. (1989). The Family Life Cycle and Social Change.  Family Relations, 38(2), 123-129.  https://doi.org/10.2307/583663

McGoldrick, M. (1992). Ethnicity and the Family Life Cycle.  Family Business Review,  5(4), 437–459. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6248.1992.00437.x

Murphy, P. E. (1979). A Modernized Family Life Cycle.  Journal of Consumer Research, 6(1), 12-22.  https://doi.org/10.1086/208744

Trina

The family life cycle theory was first developed around 1960. It is one of many tools that can be used in marriage and family counseling. This theory uses the term " family life cycle" to describe the emotional and intellectual stages you pass through from childhood to your retirement years as a member of a family. In each stage, you face challenges in your family life that allow you to build or gain new skills of each stage helps you to move from one stage of development to the next. Not everyone passes through these stages smoothly. Issues such as sever illness, money problems, or the death of a loved one can affect how you pass through the stages. But if you miss skills in one stage, you can learn them in later stages ( Family Life Cycle Theory). 

Stages in the FLC are 

· Independence- The most critical stage of the FLC. As you enter young adulthood, you start to separate emotionally from your family. During this stage, you strive to become fully able to support yourself emotionally, physically, socially, and financially.

· Coupling- Using qualities gained in the independence stage, you can see if you can commit to a new family and a new way of life.

· Parenting- One of the most challenging phases of the FLC. during this stage, you'll need to communicate well, maintain your relationships, and solve problems.

· Launching adult children- This stage starts when your first child leaves home and ends with the " empty nest".

· Retirement or senior years- Retirement can be fulfilling and happy time. Welcoming new family members or seeing others leave your family is often a large part of this stage as your children have relationships or you become a grandparent ( Family Life Cycle Theory, 2023).

The FLC is not much relevant to me. because it is just me and I have done the independence stage. I support myself emotionally, physically, socially, and financially. I'm single, no kids. So those stages do not apply to me. and I have not reached my retirement years yet.

FLC and diverse family can influence parenting behavior in fundamental ways. Like schools you go to, neighborhoods you live in, and social networks, also affect parenting. Living conditions, hardships and discrimination is relevant to FLC (Family Life Cycle).

 The transition to adulthood is typically marketed by changes in relationships with family members, peers, and romantic partners. Accepting responsibility for one's actions, deciding on one's beliefs and values, establishing an equal relationship with parents, and becoming financially independent ( Ikeda, Y., 2021).

Family Life Cycle Theory, February 28th, 2023, Healthwise,  www.healthy.kaisepermanente.org

Family Life Cycle, Human Development, Portland State,  www.pdx.pressbooks.pub

Ikedai, Y.  A Scoping Review of the Factors that Influences Families; Ability or Capacity to Provide Young People with Emotional Support over the Transition to Adulthood. Frontiers,  www.frontiersin.org , October 14th, 2021 

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