Who Counts as Family Later in Life? Following Theoretical Leads

Abstract

A critical, multilevel conceptual framework provides alternative ways of addressing the question, Who counts as family later in life? The conceptual approach incorporates core ideas from life course, critical, and feminist perspectives, as well as the concept of ambivalence. Three meanings of the word count are used to address who should be included as family, which family ties are personally meaningful in the second half of life, and which family ties are significant sources of support. The article closes by exploring how to make research count: What are the policy and research implications of variations in who should be counted as family, who counts subjectively, and who can be counted on in mid-and later life? The macro-meso-micro framework connects societal and institutional arrangements to individuals and their family ties, emphasizing the need to balance individual and collective responsibility in order to support family relations across the life course.What do we know about family ties in the second half of life? What is the connection between family relationships and the larger social world? How can we apply what we know to better support family ties in later life? Good conceptual frameworks can help us answer these questions; they can also lead us to question the taken-for-granted and the status quo, and there

Relationships in late life from a personal communities approach: perspectives of older people in Chile

“…The inclusion of mainly workplace friends as part of the men's communities seems to indicate that male interviewees have a lack of opportunities or willingness to connect with people outside the family circle after their retirement. This is similar to the findings of European studies on the confidant networks of older people, where men tended to turn more to family members while women were more likely to increase the size of their network with more friends and fewer family ties (Connidis, 2020). Interestingly, Meersohn Schmidt and Yang (2020) found that Chilean older men tended to engage in self-isolation practices such as being hesitant to socialise in organised groups due to uneasiness at participating in activities they had not mastered, and to assumptions of being outnumbered by women in older people's organised groups.…”

Family dynamics and the transition to end‐of‐life caregiving: A brief review and conceptual framework

“…The microsystem, such as home, family structure, work, and social support network, is where the individual engages in a great deal of activities and interaction (Tudge et al, 2009). At this level, family caregivers' attitudes and actions exist within interpersonal relationships with other family members, friends, and acquaintances (Connidis, 2020). Family structure, including generational composition of families and ties between extended family members or blended families may affect how many family members are available to provide care and who is involved in care decisions during the transition to EOL care.…”

“…Another source of strain within the mesosystem relates to how family caregivers are often involved in multiple micro-level contexts, such as family responsibilities and employment. Caregiving can limit time available for other responsibilities, thus creating role conflict (Connidis, 2020).…”

“…At the macrosystem level, individual and family outcomes may be influenced by the opportunities and barriers created by cultural, social, economic, and political structures (Connidis, 2020). For example, individuals may take on the role of caregiver as a result of cultural values or societal expectations.…”

“…Therefore, the complexities of defining family can affect our understanding of family caregiving. It is important to recognize that families vary in many ways including structure (such as multiple generations, blended families, or fictive kin), provision of support, and type of relationship and commitment (Connidis, 2020). For example, family caregivers differ in their level of involvement in primary or supplemental provision of care to a care receiver, their relationship and living arrangements with the care receiver, and the type of care provided (Roth et al, 2015).…”