Role Reversal and Conflict between Aged Parents and Their Children

Child-Control Through a "Coalition with God"

“…This sort of power strategy, however, would be applicable only in nonvoluntary situations. 4 In addition to its function as a power strategy, a coalition with God has implications for the legitimization of parents' authority. Attempting to control their children, parents have the problem of establishing the legitimacy of their authority in a situation of intimacy where fallibility is evident.…”

“…initial total dependence on the parents, the system-movement is nevertheless in the direction of dependency by parents on child, as Glasser and Glasser (4) have noted.…”

Resource Theory and Power in Families: Life Cycle Considerations

“…The diminution of the elderly's resources and their subsequent heightened dependency on offspring have led some researchers to claim that there is a reversal in the power relationship. In effect, parents are said to reverse roles with their children (37). Such role reversals can lead to personal problems and conflict within the parent‐child relationship.…”

Transferring Control to Others

“…The family caregiving research has indirectly considered the older person’s loss of control when kin step in to undertake tasks in response to physical or cognitive limitations. Loss of control is clearly reflected in long-established family caregiving concepts such as role reversal (Arling, 1976; Glasser & Glasser 1962; Matthews, 2002) and learned dependency, each of which involves the largely unwanted transfer of control to others (i.e., family caregivers, health care personnel) pursuant to real or perceived reduction in the older person’s capacities to manage these tasks of daily life (Baltes & Carstensen, 1999; Baltes & Wahl, 1996). The attention to diminished control in the caregiving literature is limited, however, since most of that research focuses on positive and negative outcomes in the care provider, rather than those pertaining to the recipient of care (Martire, Schulz, Wrosch, & Newsom, 2003; Robinson et al, 2009).…”

“…This limitation derives from that literature’s primary focus on outcomes for care providers, rather than recipients (Martire, Schulz, Wrosch, & Newsom, 2003). Lessened personal control is, however, clearly implied in long-established concepts in the family caregiving literature, such as role reversal (Arling, 1976; Glasser & Glasser, 1962; Matthews, 2002) and learned dependency, each of which describes the largely unwanted transfer of control to others pursuant to real or perceived reductions in the older person’s capacities to manage tasks of daily life (Baltes & Carstensen, 1999; Baltes & Wahl, 1996).…”