Ambivalence in Mother-Adult Child Relations: A Dyadic Analysis

Abstract

Over the course of several decades, prominent sociologists have examined the centrality of ambivalence in human relationships and social institutions (Coser 1966;Merton and Barber 1963;Smelser 1998). Merton and Barber (1963) noted that it is a key component of social statuses, roles, and institutions. More recently, Smelser (1998) argued that the idea of ambivalence is critical to understanding phenomena ranging from social organizations and movements to love and reactions to death. Social phenomena often are experienced as simultaneously positive and negative; in other words, they generate ambivalent sentiments.Recent scholarly exchange has focused on the relevance and utility of ambivalence for addressing the complexity of social relations. This exchange has generated greater interest in the concept and its application (Bengtson et al. 2002;Connidis andMcMullin 2002a, 2002b;Curran 2002;Lüscher 2002). The concept has intuitive appeal, particularly for intimate relations in families, but sociological studies have been challenged by the demanding theoretical and empirical tasks of assessing ambivalent sentiments.In this study we investigate the concept of ambivalence through an empirical analysis of mother-adult child relations. We examine these relations from both members' perspectives to identify factors that increase ambivalent feelings. Ambivalence arises from the interdependent nature of intimate relationships; thus it is essential to study people within the context of their relationships, and to incorporate the perspectives of both mem-

Structured ambivalence in grandchild care and the quality of life among European grandparents

“…Direct measures include questions about mixed feelings or emotions with regard to intergenerational relationships (Lowenstein 2007;Pillemer et al 2007). Indirect measures are based on combined scales of solidarity and/or conflict dimensions (Steinbach 2008;van Gaalen et al 2010;Willson et al 2006) or on ratings of positive and negative feelings (Ferring et al 2009). Studies using both direct and indirect measures of ambivalence find that ambivalence reduces well-being (Suitor et al 2011).…”

“…Financial situation: Dependencies are known to increase ambivalence (Willson et al 2006), and financial hardship is known to decrease QoL in general (Easterlin 2001). We used a subjective measure for financial background: respondents were asked if their household was able to make ends meet.…”

Stabiliteit en verandering in intergenerationele familierelaties - Verschuivingen in relatietypen over een periode van drie jaar

“…Deze tweestrijd tussen enerzijds autonomie en anderzijds afhankelijkheid bij het doorlopen van verschillende levensstadia staat ook centraal in de literatuur naar ambivalentie binnen familierelaties (Katz, Lowenstein, Phillips, & Daatland, 2005;Kiecolt, Blieszner, & Savla, 2011;Pillemer & Suitor, 2002;Willson, Shuey, Elder, & Wickrama, 2006). Vanuit psychologisch oogpunt houdt ambivalentie in dat men tegelijkertijd zowel warme als vijandige gevoelens ten opzichte van een familielid kan hebben (Lüscher & Pillemer, 1998).…”

Caregiving and Elder Abuse and Neglect—Developing a New Conceptual Perspective

“…Continued care over time, with depleting resources, affects solidarity and exchange, causes more conflicts and ambivalence which might lead to negative care giving outcomes resulting in abuse and neglect. In mature parent-child relations, ambivalence levels are elevated when parental health is poor (Fingerman et al 2006;Willson et al 2003), as parents become increasingly reliant on their adult children to whom they were formerly providers (Willson et al 2006). Accordingly, part of the problem of negative care giving outcomes is related to the complexities of elder abuse and escalation of abusive behaviors, resulting from conflictual intergenerational relations and continued stresses of care giving.…”