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Relationships Between Young Adults and Their Parents

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Book cover Early Adulthood in a Family Context

Part of the book series: National Symposium on Family Issues ((NSFI,volume 2))

Abstract

Relationships between young adults and their parents have received considerable media attention in recent years. However, research on relationships between young adult children and their parents during the transition to adulthood are scant. Using data from the Family Exchanges Study and national data sets, we document parental involvement in the lives of young adult children (aged 18–24). Parents and offspring are highly involved in one another’s lives as evident by their phone conversations (more than once a week) and frequent parental financial, practical, and emotional support. This involvement represents an increase from parental involvement 30 years ago. Students are more likely to talk with parents by phone, and nonstudents are more likely to see parents in person. Students received more support from their parents than nonstudents, and that support contributed to their life satisfaction. Parents also use student status as an indicator of the offspring’s potential future success and experience more positive relationships with grown children they view as on target for achieving adult milestones.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Karen L. Fingerman Ph.D. & Yen-Pi Cheng

  2. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Lauren Tighe

  3. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Kira S. Birditt Ph.D.

  4. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA

    Steven Zarit Ph.D.

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  1. Karen L. Fingerman Ph.D.
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  2. Yen-Pi Cheng
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  3. Lauren Tighe
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  4. Kira S. Birditt Ph.D.
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  5. Steven Zarit Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Karen L. Fingerman Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Justice, Pennsylvania State University, Oswald Tower 513, University Park, 16802, Pennsylvania, USA

    Alan Booth

  2. Bowling Green State University, 239 Williams Hall, Bowling Green, 43403, Ohio, USA

    Susan L. Brown

  3. Pennsylvania State University, Oswald Tower 601, University Park, 16802, Pennsylvania, USA

    Nancy S. Landale

  4. , Departments of Sociology and Demography, Bowling Green State University, 239 Williams Hall, Bowling Green, 43403, Ohio, USA

    Wendy D. Manning

  5. The Pennsylvania State University, 601 Oswald Tower, University Park, 16802, Pennsylvania, USA

    Susan M. McHale

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Fingerman, K.L., Cheng, YP., Tighe, L., Birditt, K.S., Zarit, S. (2012). Relationships Between Young Adults and Their Parents. In: Booth, A., Brown, S., Landale, N., Manning, W., McHale, S. (eds) Early Adulthood in a Family Context. National Symposium on Family Issues, vol 2. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1436-0_5

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