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Aging and Family Life: A Decade Review
Author(s) -
Silverstein Merril,
Giarrusso Roseann
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00749.x
Subject(s) - scholarship , perspective (graphical) , diversity (politics) , frontier , set (abstract data type) , field (mathematics) , sociology , psychology , family studies , life course approach , family life , social psychology , political science , gender studies , computer science , mathematics , artificial intelligence , anthropology , pure mathematics , law , programming language
In this review, we summarize and critically evaluate the major empirical, conceptual, and theoretical directions that studies of aging families have taken during the first decade of the 21st century. The field has benefited from an expanded perspective based on four overarching themes: (a) complexity in emotional relations, (b) diversity in family structures and households, (c) interdependence of family roles and functions, and (d) patterns and outcomes of caregiving. Although research on aging families has advanced theory and applied innovative statistical techniques, the literature has fallen short in fully representing diverse populations and in applying the broadest set of methodological tools available. We discuss these and other frontier areas of scholarship in light of the aging of baby boomers and their families.