1. Life Course Perspective
Bengston, V. L., & Allen, K. R. (1993). The life course perspective applied to families over time. In P. G. Boss, W. J. Doherty, R. LaRossa, W. R. Schumm, & S. K. Steinmetz (Eds.), Sourcebook of family theories and methods: A contextual approach (pp ). New York: Plenum Press.

2. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson
Introduction:
To Study Families Over Time we Need to
Move beyond the individual life span metaphor.
Move beyond family level of analysis.
Examine intimate connections in families and long-term relationships in terms of
social structure,
and history.
Explore socially constructed meanings which result from
transitions
and communication.
Refine concepts, methods, and theories to explain change over time within families.
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

3. Basic Themes of the Life Course Perspective
Time
Context
Process
Meaning
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

4. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson
Five Specific Points:
Time influences relationships in three ways:
Life experiences influence relationships.
Family events and family transitions influence individuals and interactions.
Historical time -- events in the broader social context -- influence roles and values.
Individuals are influenced by social context
Social structures (e.g., racism, sexism, homophobia) influence individual development.
Individuals actively interact with social context and structure. This produces a reciprocal influence between families/individuals and social context via socially constructed meaning systems.
Social structures change and this change influences individuals and relationships.
There is an interplay of micro- and macro- levels of development.
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

5. Five Specific Points (cont.):
Research is dynamic, focusing on both process and change: they are a dialectic.
It is important to consider diversity.
Research should be multi-disciplinary.
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

6. Historical Origins and Research Traditions
The Human Development Tradition: explicitly studied family influence on individual development
Life Span Developmental Psychology: emphasizes individual development and behavior.
Family Development Theory: Suggested Three Levels of Analysis
Individual-psychological.
Interactional-associational.
Social-institutional.
Sociology of Age Stratification: macrosocial perspective focusing on the influence of age.
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

7. Historical Origins and Research Traditions (cont.)
Social-Historical Studies of the Family:
Emphasizes changing social nature of individual time and family time within changing historical context.
Transitions are imbedded in history: broad change influences families which, in turn, reciprocally influences society.
The Life Course Perspective -- A New “Paradigm”?
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

8. Assumptions and Central Concepts (see Table 19-2).
The “Multiple Time Clocks” Assumption
Ontogenetic time and ontogenetic events
Historical time and historical events
The Social Ecology Assumption
Social structural context
Social meanings
Cultural contexts
The interplay of macro-micro levels of analysis
The Diachronic Assumption
Homeostasis and adaptation
Interactions of age, period, and cohort effects
Feedback Over Time among Structures and stages of development
The Heterogeneity Assumption
Diversity and differences
Aging diversity
Structural diversity
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

9. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson
Table 19-2
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

10. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson
Table 19-2 (cont.)
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

11. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson
Table 19-2 (cont.)
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

12. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson
Table 19-2 (cont.)
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

13. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson
Table 19-3: Changes in American Family as the Result of Improved Life Expectancy
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

14. Figure 19-2: Influence of Intra- and Intergenerational Processes
Problem
Family
Relationships A
Problem
Behavior B
Problem
Family
Relationships
Problem
Behavior C
A: Intragenerational Hypothesis
A,B: Intergenerational Hypothesis
C: Life Course Development Hypothesis
Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson