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Intergenerational Relationships

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Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

Synonyms

Intergenerational relations; Parent–child relationships; Parent–child ties

Definition

Intergenerational relationships are ties between adult family members in different generational positions within the family of which the parent–child relationship is the most widely studied.

Introduction

Intergenerational relationships have played a central role in families throughout history and across cultures. Nonetheless, these ties have risen to heightened importance over the past few decades, both to the people who experience these ties and to the scholars who study them. Scholars point to many demographic and social shifts related to the growing significance of intergenerational relations, three of which dominate the literature in the area: (a) delayed marriage and increasing divorce rates, (b) declining birthrates, and (c) increased longevity and active life expectancy. These trends create opportunities for interaction and dependence across generations, in particular, between parents...

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Correspondence to Jori Sechrist .

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Sechrist, J., Fingerman, K. (2015). Intergenerational Relationships. In: Pachana, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_9-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_9-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-287-080-3

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