The Expanded Family Life Cycle, Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives

Adolescence
Young Adulthood
Men as Partners and Husbands
Fatherhood
Men at Midlife
Men as Friends With Other Men, Women and Friendship Networks
Men, Work, and Family Health
Elders and Older Age
Conclusion and Areas of Future Focus
 

Chapter 5: Social Class and the Life Cycle
Jodie Kliman
Introduction
Understanding Social Class
Case Examples
Social Class and Families With Young Children
Social Class and Families With Older Children and Adolescents
Social Class and Families With Late Adolescents and Young Adults
Social Class and Families With Adults in Mid- and Later Life
Conclusions: Implications for Family Therapy
 

Chapter 6 Sexuality and the Life Cycle
Ellen Berman & David Wohlsifer
The Biology of Sexuality
Sexuality and Gender Across the Life Cycle
Sexuality Through the Life Cycle
Conclusion
 

Chapter7: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals and the Family Life Cycle
Deidre Ashton
Introduction
Current Status of LGBT Families in the United States
Diversity Among LGBT Families
Models of LGBT Identity Development
Lesbian and Gay Identity Development
Bisexual Identity Development
Transgender Identity Development
Coming Out
The Family Life Cycle
Leaving Home and Staying Connected: Launching and Single Adulthood
Coupling
Parenting: Families With Young Children
Parenting: Families With Adolescent Children Families in Later Life
Conclusion
 

Chapter 8: Spirituality and the Family Life Cycle  
Sueli Petry
Spirituality and Religion in America
Family Life Cycle Theory and Application to Context of Spirituality
Children and Spirituality
Adolescence: Identity Development and Spirituality
Early Adulthood: Time to Explore and Make Choices About Spiritual Beliefs
Middle-Age: Beliefs Reaffirmed
Older Adults: Aging and Facing Mortality
Conclusion
 

Chapter 9 Siblings and the Life Cycle
Monica McGoldrick & Marlene Watson
The Importance of Sibling Relationships Through the Life Cycle
Age Spacing
Gender Differences
Birth-Order Effects in Sibling Relationships
Life Cycle Issues in Families With Disabled Siblings
Sibling Positions and Parenting
Siblings and Adolescent Relationships
Sibling Relationships in Young Adulthood
Sibling Positions and Marital Relationships
In-Laws, Step- and Half Siblings Sibling Relationships in Midlife
Sibling Relationships After the Death of Parents
Other Factors That Intersect With Sibling Patterns: Culture, Class, and Race
Rules of Thumb for Sibling Relationships Through the Life Cycle
Conclusions
 

Chapter 10: Single Adults and the Life Cycle

Kathy Berliner, Demaris Jacob, & Natalie Schwartzberg
The Single Adult and the Family Life Cycle
Setting the Clinical Stage
The Single Person’s Life Cycle
The Stages
 

PART II: LIFE CYCLE TRANSITIONS AND PHASES
 Chapter 11: Becoming and Adult: Finding Ways to Love and Work
Richard H. Fulmer
Young Adulthood(s) in the New Century
Early Young Adulthood: Developmental Tasks
Work Tasks: Preparation Without Pay or Earning out of Necessity?
Relationship Tasks: Trying to Find Love in Lust
Early Young Adulthood: Ages 18 to 21
Later Young Adulthood, Ages 22 to 30: Trying to Consolidate Work and Family
Young Adulthood for Men
Anticipation of Death
Barriers to Affiliation for Men
Affiliation: Can Fathers Help?
Young Adulthood for Women
Anticipation of Birth
Conclusion: Young Adulthood as a Transition for Three Generations

Chapter 12: Becoming a Couple

Monica McGoldrick
Marriage in Our Times
Fusion and Intimacy
Gay and Lesbian Couples
The Wedding
Sexuality
Patterns With Extended Family
In-Laws
Sibling Issues in Couple Formation
Cultural Differences
 

Chapter 13: Becoming Parents: The Family with Young Children
Betty Carter, Monica McGoldrick, & Barbara Petkov
Introduction
Expectations Versus Reality
The New Demographics of Families in the Parenting Phase
The Emotional System
Child Care and the Work—Family Dilemma
Gender Issues in Parenting: The Power Imbalance 
Child-Rearing
Alternate Pathways to Parenthood
Lesbian and Gay Parenting
Foster Care
Clinical Guidelines
Shifting Focus Among Levels of the System
Transition Groups
Helping Fathers to Be More Involved
Helping Parents Prepare Sons as Well as Daughters to Develop into Caring Adults
Helping White Parents to Prepare Their Children for a Multicultural World
Helping Minority-Group Parents to Protect Their Children in an Oppressive Society
Talking to Parents About Values
Conclusion
 

Chapter 14: Transformation of the Family System During Adolescence
Nydia Garcia Preto
The Sociocultural Context
Developing a Gender Identity
Gender Identity: A Social and Cultural Construct
Developing Racial and Ethnic Identity
Physical Changes
Sexual Changes and Sexual Orientation
Emotional Changes
Changes in the Family Structure
Therapeutic Interventions
Renegotiating Relationships Between Parents and Adolescents
Strengthening the Parental Bond
Building Community
Conclusion
 

Chapter 15: Families at Midlife: Launching Children and Moving On
Nydia Garcia Preto & Lynn Blacker
Overview
Launching
Middle Age: The Longest Life Cycle Stage
Men and Women at Midlife
Women at Midlife
Men at Midlife
Other Midlife Tasks
Conclusion
 

Chapter 16: Families in Later Life: Challenges, Opportunities, and Resilience
Froma Walsh
The Graying of the Family
The Varying and Extended Family Life Course
From Ageism and Gerophobia to a Larger Vision of Later Life
The Vital Importance of Family Bonds
Later-Life Transitions and Challenges
Retirement
Grandparenthood
Chronic Illness and Family Caregiving
Dementias: The Long Good-Bye
Family Intervention Issues and Priorities
From Designated Caregiver to Caregiving Team
Placement Planning
Facing End-of-life Challenges, Widowhood, and Loss of Loved Ones
Cross-Generational Interplay of Life Cycle Issues
Successful Aging: Meaning and Connection
The Wisdom and Spirit of the Elders
The Significance of Relational Connections
Clinical Challenges and Opportunities: A Resilience-Oriented Approach
Facilitating Family Healing and Resilience
Looking Ahead
Expanding Our Developmental Lens
 

Chapter 17: Death, Loss, and the Family Life Cycle  

Monica McGoldrick & Froma Walsh Family Adaptation to Loss
Loss at Various Family Life Cycle Stages
Launching Children and Moving On
Families in Later Life
Death in Divorced and Remarried Families
Varied Life Course Challenges: Hidden and Stigmatized Losses
Diverse Cultural and Spiritual Beliefs and Practices
Conclusion
 

Chapter 18: Divorce: An Unscheduled Family Transition 

Constance R. Ahrons
The Context of Divorce: Historical and Legal Perspectives
Demographics and the Probability of Divorce
Ethnic and Life Cycle Variations
The Social Context
Divorce as a Multidimensional Process
The Binuclear Family
Transitions of the Divorce Process
The Transitions Framework
Individual Cognition: The Decision
Family Metacognition: The Announcement
Systemic Separation: Dismantling the Nuclear Family
Systemic Reorganization: The Binuclear Family
Family Redefinition: The Aftermath
Clinical Overview
 

Chapter 19: Single-Parent Families: Strengths, Vulnerabilities, and Interventions  
Carol M. Anderson & Maria Anderson
Single Parents and the Family Life Cycle
When Single-Parent Families Seek Help
Conclusions
 

Chapter 20: Families Transformed by the Divorce Cycle: Reconstituted, Multinuclear, Recoupled, and Remarried Families
Monica McGoldrick & Betty Carter
Gender Issues in Divorce
Time to Move Through This Life Cycle Phase
The Divorce and Postdivorce Family Emotional Process
A New Paradigm of Family
The Impact of Remarriage at Various Phases of the Family Life Cycle
Spouses at the Same Life Cycle Phase
Stepfamilies and Young Children
Stepfamilies With Adolescents
The Impact of Remarriage in Later Life Cycle Phases
Clinical Intervention With Remarried Families Clinical Guidelines
Case Illustration
  

PART III: CLINICAL DILEMMAS AND INTERVENTIONS  
 

Chapter 21: Chronic Ilness and the Life Cycle  
John S. Rolland
The Social Context of Illness and Disabilities
Psychosocial Typology of Illness
Time Phases of Illness
Clinical Implications
Interface of the Illness, Individual, and Family Development
Periods of Child-Rearing and Postlaunching
Life Cycle Transition Periods
Life Structure-Maintaining Periods
Multigenerational Experiences With Illness, Loss, and Crisis Life Cycle Coincidences Across Generations
The New Era of Genetics
Conclusion
 

Chapter 22: Alcohol Problems and the Life Cycle

Tracey A. Laszloffy Definitions of Alcoholism
Scope of the Problem
Risk Factors/Vulnerabilities
Understanding Alcoholism From a Family Life Cycle Perspective
A Word About Contextual Factors
Effect of Alcoholism on Children
Families With Adolescents
Midlife Change
Divorce
Aging and Later Life
Implications for Treatment
Case Study–The Burton Family
Conclusion
 

Chapter 23: Violence and the Life Cycle  

Monica McGoldrick & Mary Anne Ross
A Family or Social Legacy
Young Adulthood
Families With Young Children
Families With Adolescents
Families at Midlife
Older Families
Conclusion
 

Chapter 24: Psychiatric Illness and the Life Cycle

Ellen Berman & Alison Heru
The Concept of Psychiatric Illness
The Evolving Nature of Diagnosis
Psychiatric Illness and the Family System
Culture and Psychiatric Illness
Psychiatric Illness and the Family Life Cycle
The Family With Young and Adolescent Children
Conclusion
 

Chapter 25: Coaching at Various Stages of the Life Cycle  
Monica McGoldrick & Betty Carter
Fusion and Differentiation
Distancing and Cut Off
Triangles
Differentiation
Reversals and Detriangling
Opening Up a Closed System
Engagement and System Mapping
Planning: Learning About the System and One’s Own Role in It
Guidelines to Teach Clients
The Single Young Adult The Main Work Follow Through
Money and the Family
Gender Issues in Coaching
Guidelines for the Therapist (Coach)
Conclusion
 

Chapter 26: Creating Meaningful Rituals for New Life Cycle Transitions  
Evan Imber-Black
Creating Rituals as a Developmental Task for Couples
Contemporary Life Cycle Transitions
The Emergence of Symptoms
Therapeutic Rituals
Discussion of the Ritual
Healing Rituals
Identity Redefinition Rituals
Designing and Implementing Rituals for New Life Cycle Transitions
Conclusion
 

Chapter 27: The Therapist and the Family: The Intersection of Life Cycles
Steve Lerner
Dimensions of Similarity Between Therapist and Client
Brief Scenarios: Complex Therapist—Family Life Cycle Interactions
Families With Young Children: A Complex Intersection
She Nurtures/He Earns: The Therapist’s Transition Gets in the Way
The Long-Term View: Working With One Family Over Successive Life Cycle Stages
Working With Loss: A Link Between Life Cycle Stages
Conclusion
 

Appendix: A Multicultural Life Cycle Framework for Clinical Assessment  
Monica McGoldrick, Betty Carter & Nydia Garcia Preto
A Multicontextual Assessment
I. Assessing Individual Life Cycle Development & Stressors (Body, Mind, and Spirit)
II. Assessing the Family: Immediate and Extended Family System
III. Assessing the Social and Cultural Context
Assessing Families’ Multiple Contexts
Questions to Help Clients Think About Their Family’s Migration and Cultural Heritage in a Multicontextual
Life Cycle Perspective
Questions to Help Clients Look Beyond the Stress of Their Current Situation and Access the Strengths
of Their Heritage
Questions About Values
About Privilege and Oppression
Tools for Assessment
Standard Symbols for Genograms
References
Name Index
Subject Index