Development tasks by family life cycle stage: Duvall stage 8 and our home application example
- The family life cycle refers to the process by which a family changes step by step through marriage, childbirth, raising children, independence, and old age.
- Duval divided the family life cycle into eight stages and presented the development tasks that families should do at each stage.
- Challenges left unsolved in one stage can lead to conflicts in the next, so it's important to keep an eye on the transition phase.
Contents
When my child becomes a high school student, I hear a lot of stories about how the atmosphere in the house has changed drastically. It's because families meet different challenges at different times, just like people do. We have summarized the family life cycles that frequently occur in family welfare theory or health home theory through steps and application examples.
What is the family life cycle?
The family life cycle is a framework in which a family divides changes over time, starting with marriage, bearing and raising children, and then having children independently, until the couple attains old age. At each stage, the roles and relationships of family members change, and there are developmental tasks that families have to solve together. This framework allows us to understand family conflict not as the fault of anyone, but as the natural tension that arises during a stage change.
The structure of household expenditures varies with stage. Child support is a big part of childbirth, education is a big part of adolescence, and retirement preparation is a big part of independence, so the family life cycle is often used for household financial planning.
Duval's 8 Stages and Development Tasks
| Step | Main developmental tasks |
|---|---|
| Honeymoon | Building couple relationships, adapting each other's lifestyles |
| Maternity and foster care | Parent Role Adaptation, Infant Care |
| Pre-school | Child socialization, parental time and energy control |
| School Age | Supporting Your Child's School Life, Expanding Out-of-Family Relationships |
| Adolescence | Balance your child's autonomy, responsibility, and communication |
| Independent (Hexadecimal) | Leaving your child and transitioning into an adult relationship |
| Midlife | Redefining couple relationships, preparing for old age |
| Old age | Retirement and Health Change Adaptation, Spousal Loss Preparedness |
면접 준비는 내 글을 소리 내서 말해 보는 연습이 생각보다 효과가 좋더라고요. 관심 있는 직무의 하루 일과를 한번 알아 두는 것도 좋을 것 같아요.
Carter & McGoldrick Perspective
Carter and McGoldrick looked at the family life cycle from a multi-generational perspective. The transition of a generation also affects the ups and downs, and the problems that are left unsolved in the parent generation lead to the generation of children. They highlighted what emotional changes the family system should embrace as we move through each stage. For example, in adolescence, the challenge is to make family boundaries more flexible to recognize your child's independence. The flow of family relationships across generations is easy to understand with the Bowen Family System Theory document.
Examples of what to do in your home
For example, let's say that there is a conflict between the career path that the high school student wants and the career path that the father wants. In terms of the family life cycle, this family is in the adolescent stage, and the challenge of nurturing the child's autonomy and the need for parents to protect them are conflicting. If the conversation is interrupted, the assignment will move to independence, and the relationship can continue long after the child has left home. Conversely, by verbalizing your expectations and respecting your child's choices, you can move naturally into the adult-to-adult relationship.
Assignment structure and reference materials
The report can be written in the order of the current stage of the family → in the development task → by concept stage of the family life cycle, the → problem analysis, the cause of the problem, the → solution process, and the next task. When writing a family story, it's a good idea to get your family's consent and keep it to a minimum. The Campus Down Family Life Cycle Case Application Material, which applies the family life cycle to my experience to find career conflicts with my father and the solution of the child independent machine, can be used as a reference for the first time to write a personal case analysis in a family welfare theory task.
FAQ
What is the family life cycle?
It's a framework that shares how families are changing step by step through marriage, childbirth, raising children, child independence, and old age.
What are the stages of Duvall's family life cycle?
From newlyweds to seniors, there are eight stages.
What are your family's developmental tasks during adolescence?
Balancing your child's autonomy and responsibilities, and flexing family boundaries and communication.
Can it be applied to every family?
No. Families as diverse as single parents, remarried, and unmarried households may have different cycles and need to be adjusted.