Applications of Family Systems Theory to the Study of Adulthood

Abstract

Psychologists who study children have emphasized family processes that influence children's psychological well-being and subsequent development, but gerontologists have rarely considered the impact of the family as system in adulthood. Drawing on family systems theories, we show how between-family, within-family, and within-individual differences emerge from family interactions in adulthood. Specifically, we consider how adult behavior might be understood in terms of norms sustained by the larger family system. We present three case studies of adult families to illustrate the ways in which their shared beliefs shape emotional experiences, behavior, and conceptions of self and family in adulthood. The family, as a milieu, continues to exert influence over the day-to-day life of individual members after they are grown.