ABSTRACT
The effects of family members on one another from generation to generation are a recurring theme in the research literature (Aldous & Hill, 1965; Bowen, 1978; Harrison, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2015; Hill, 1964, 1966; Kerr, 2019; Kerr & Bowen, 1988; Klever, 2003a, 2003b, 2004, 2005a, 2005b, 2015, 2016; Noone, 1994, 1995, 2008, 2014; Noone & Papero, 2015; Papero, 1990; Troll & Bengtson, 1979). Auguste Comte postulates that the influence of one generation on another is a central consideration in the study of society. This is a critical area of study because, “if society is to continue its existence beyond one generation, the members must transmit what they consider to be necessary knowledge and values. The continuity of a social system by definition requires transmission between generations” (Weiting, 1975, p. 137). Aldous and Hill (1965) suggest that the continuity across generations is critical for the maintenance of group survival, although there has been limited research on intergenerational continuities through the family.
