Journal article
Was it all smoke and mirrors?: Applying the relational turbulence model to adult children’s experience of late-life parental divorce
Journal of social and personal relationships, Vol.34(2), pp.209-234
03/2017
DOI: 10.1177/0265407516629226
Abstract
The present study utilizes the relational turbulence model (RTM) to illuminate adult children’s experiences of relational uncertainty and interference from partners following late-life parental divorce (LLPD). In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 adult children who had experienced parental divorce later in life revealed that adult children grappled with four broad themes of relational uncertainty: (a) parent–adult child relationship uncertainty, (b) parent as individual uncertainty, (c) divorce-related uncertainty, and (d) being a family uncertainty. Interference from partners was couched within adult children’s experiences of feeling caught and manifested as (a) disruptions to normative developmental stressors and (b) disruptions to maintaining family ties. The discussion highlights the theoretical implications of our results for the RTM and the larger divorce literature, along with practical recommendations to assist those grappling with LLPD.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Was it all smoke and mirrors?: Applying the relational turbulence model to adult children’s experience of late-life parental divorce
- Creators
- Sylvia L Mikucki-Enyart - University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, USASarah E Wilder - Luther College, USAHayden Barber - Purdue University, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of social and personal relationships, Vol.34(2), pp.209-234
- DOI
- 10.1177/0265407516629226
- ISSN
- 0265-4075
- eISSN
- 1460-3608
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/2017
- Academic Unit
- Center for Social Science Innovation; Public Policy Center (Archive); Communication Studies
- Record Identifier
- 9984002317802771
Metrics
20 Record Views