Parenting and Family Relationships Factors in the Intergenerational Transmission of Partnerships: a Research Review

Abstract

Introduction. Partner behavior can be transmitted among generations. Factors influencing the intergenerational transmission of partnerships can include parenting and relations in the parental family. Currently, there is a discrepancy between the increasing need for psychological practice to understand intergenerational transmission of partnerships and the level of prior studies of the problem. The purpose of the article is to provide an analytical review of modern scientific research on the link between parents' and their children's relationships in adolescence and adulthood. Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the review is the concept of intergenerational transmission by A.A. Schutzenberger, N. Abraham, M. Terek and others, as well as Bowen's family systems and transgenerational approach. The method of literature analysis on the issues of factors of intergenerational transmission of patterns of partnering was used in the work. The search engines for scientific research Google Scholar, eLibrary.ru, CyberLeninka, etc. were used. Results. The review identified factors that are related to children's partnering in adolescence and adulthood. A secure attachment and a safe family environment were particularly important for building relationships, in contrast to the factor of divorce itself. Parental conflicts and styles of their resolution, the type of attachment were associated with the parenting. The mother's depression affects the psychological well-being of the child and, as a consequence, the building of his or her relationship with the partner. Conclusion. Within the problem of intergenerational transmission of patterns of romantic and marital relationships, the relationship between young people and parental conflicts, the number of breakups and divorces in the parental family, the quality of the mother's relationship with her partner, and the quality of the relationship with the child in childhood all matter. Thus, the article determines which factors of family upbringing and relationships between parents influence the building of children’s partnerships in the next generation. It is emphasized that there is a lack of Russian studies on this topic, even though it is very important for the well-being of marital relations to identify intergenerational factors that affect them. Keywords: intergenerational transmission, marriage, partnerships, family