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Family estrangement is a common yet understudied phenomenon, especially in the sociology of family and personal life. In societies where norms about 'the family' have moved on considerably to include non-biological kinship, blended families, chosen families and so on, an emphasis on close bonds and family rituals is often resilient creating stigma for those who are distant from family. In this article, I offer a sociological analysis of experiences of family estrangement reported via a qualitative survey, and explore three of the family practices involved in maintaining these 'absent present' relationships. This research contributes to and extends literature on family practices, family display and the notion of doing family, by looking at the family practices that are kept off display and the often unseen work that goes into not doing family. In doing so, it speaks to a growing interest in the constitutive role of absent, silenced or hidden aspects of social life, and attending questions about the impacts of such omissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the relation between emotion and imagination in sociology. While scholars have noted that imagination is under-theorised as a sociological concept, attention to sociological texts, most closely C. Wright Mill's The Sociological Imagination , reveals the interplay of feeling and imagining across personal and social scales. I draw from Mills to explore the role of emotional speculation in qualitative survey data about experiences of family estrangement. In the survey responses, people articulated the limits of what they and others could imagine about familial relationships. This paper therefore identifies a lens to pursue further analyses of the imaginative capacities of emotion in intimate life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay argues that, together with presenting a multigenerational family, Disney's Encanto explores the issue of intergenerational trauma. The forced displacement, chaos, and violence that the protagonist's Abuela experienced became the source of her family's incredible magical powers, but also that of their equally intense personal pain. Although Encanto is ostensibly an exploration of Mirabel's search for identity, the film can just as accurately be seen as an exploration of the impact of intergenerational trauma, especially among immigrant families and within communities of color. In so doing, the animated film serves as a productive tool for social-emotional learning. Encanto gives young people the opportunity to examine the way that events from a family's past can impact individuals in the present. Even more importantly, it encourages them to consider how they can manage adverse emotions in healthy ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every film depicts its unique subject matter and values to the real world. The concept of "Otherhood" illustrates the issue of family estrangement, which is one of the issues that society faces. It represents both the indicators of separation and the audience-observable causes of estrangement. It also depicts a jocasta complex, a reverse Oedipus complex on a parent. Although "Otherhood" contains such weighty subject matter, it is constructed with relatable dialogues and enjoyable yet engrossing sequences for the audience. These two elements are examined in this paper to determine the representation of family estrangement. Thus, this study aims to analyze the portrayal of family relationship in "Otherhood" movie. The authors analyzed its representation using a qualitative approach and applying Stuart Hall's theory, the Representation especially in receptive approach. To support this analysis, the authors collected data from literary sources. The result represents how mothers see their sons' estrangement and how it impacts their identity and mindset as mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the experience of family estrangement, focusing on the estrangement's nature (voluntary or involuntary) and approach (direct or indirect), to understand the experiences of individuals who no longer actively speak to family members, as described from the participants' subjective perspectives. Current family estrangement research focuses on participants based in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia and this study provides a unique opportunity to view the experiences of estrangement in the Republic of Ireland. A qualitative approach was adopted, with data collected from five adults who are currently estranged from one or more family members for a period no less than 12 months. Specifically, thematic analysis was used to investigate patterns that accurately reflect the experiences of those estranged. The findings indicated that the experience can change over extended periods, with emotions such as anger and sadness and feelings of upset and stress that were present at the time of estrangement becoming less prevalent after a period ranging from 18 months to 10 years. Later experiences of estrangement were characterized by less stress, though sadness was still present for some and anger was present in situations where limited contact with estranged parties continued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A constructivist grounded theory of family distancing emerged from the narrative accounts of 52 adult children in the process of estrangement from their parents. The grounded theory conceptualizes estrangement as a continuum comprised of eight components: (1) communication quality, (2) communication quantity, (3) physical distance, (4) presence/absence of emotion, (5) positive/negative affect, (6) reconciliation/desire to be a family, (7) role reciprocity, and (8) legal action. In addition, 10 communicative behaviors are identified that can help family members move along the estrangement continuum toward greater distance or maintain their position. Together they interplay to constitute a holistic picture of the estrangement process. Scholarly uses, theoretical implications, and practical applications will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTObjectives:Loneliness and social networks have been extensively studied in relation to cognitive impairments, but how they interact with each other in relation to cognition is still unclear. This study aimed at exploring the interaction of loneliness and various types of social networks in relation to cognition in older adults.Design: a cross-sectional study.Setting: face-to-face interview.Participants: 497 older adults with normal global cognition were interviewed.Measurements: Loneliness was assessed with Chinese 6-item De Jong Gierverg's Loneliness Scale. Confiding network was defined as people who could share inner feelings with, whereas non-confiding network was computed by subtracting the confiding network from the total network size. Cognitive performance was expressed as a global composite z-score of Cantonese version of mini mental state examination (CMMSE), Categorical verbal fluency test (CVFT) and delayed recall. Linear regression was used to test the main effects of loneliness and the size of various networks, and their interaction on cognitive performance with the adjustment of sociodemographic, physical and psychological confounders.Results: Significant interaction was found between loneliness and non-confiding network on cognitive performance (B = .002, β = .092, t = 2.099, p = .036). Further analysis showed a significant interaction between loneliness and the number of family members in non-confiding network on cognition (B = .021, β = .119, t = 2.775, p = .006).Conclusions: Results suggested that a non-confiding relationship with family members might put lonely older adults at risk of cognitive impairment. Our study might have implications on designing psychosocial intervention for those who are vulnerable to loneliness as an early prevention of neurocognitive impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a mixed method survey that was administered to a group of Australian palliative care social workers (n = 27). Specifically, it aimed to investigate the ways that social workers understood and worked with clients who were estranged from family at the end of life. Respondents suggested that estrangement potentially impacted clients emotionally, practically, and existentially. They were challenged to make clear assessments, provide emotional support, encourage news ways of thinking about estrangement, to manage practical issues, work with the client’s family, and monitor their own professional role. Theories and models of intervention and levels of training are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family conflict and estrangement can complicate caregiving tasks later in life. Research suggests that adult children who are estranged do not visit their parents when their parents are sick, despite societal pressures to reconcile and take care of them. Parents also report feeling surprised that their estranged children did not return home when they were in need, which ultimately solidified the estrangement. This article offers a broad discussion of the existing research on family conflict and caregiving, then focuses more specifically on family estrangement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Framed in the uncertainty literature, the present study explores the uncertainty issues and management practices of adult children who are in the estrangement process with their parents. Results from 52 narrative interviews reveal six types of uncertainty and six management processes. Taken together, results suggest that the estrangement process is marked by chronic uncertainty that can serve multiple functions. Theoretical implications and practical applications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding, funding and fitting into student accommodation brings multiple and complex challenges for young people who are estranged from their family and cannot depend on their parents for emotional, material or financial support during their time in higher education. This paper draws on the experiences of 564 estranged students in UK higher education, aged 18-25, who have broken communicative contact with their biological or adoptive parents and who are not recognised as vulnerable by their local authority. It finds that a proportion of estranged students struggle with homelessness issues throughout the student life cycle. Furthermore, it finds typical student accommodation can be financially out of reach for estranged young people, exacerbated by expectations for students to go home during the summer break. Together these factors push estranged students into a life that is often detached from the community of their institution and their peers. Of particular concern is that such factors inhibit a focus on academic studies, with an impact on retention and student success. The paper concludes by outlining how key interventions from higher-education providers and government departments can maximise student success for estranged students, in order to inform policy and practice for those who lack family capital and the support of corporate parenting structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study examined the experiences of 25 adult children who initiated or maintained estrangement from one or both parents. Participants often stated that they initiated or maintained estrangement to provide relief and space to heal from a difficult relationship, but it was also experienced as a considerable loss that impacted them across the lifespan. They missed having a family and the benefits of such a relationship, including emotional, financial and physical support. However, the majority stated that they did not miss ‘their own family’ or the person they were estranged from, often taking active measures to keep the estrangement status intact. Estrangement also appeared to affect participant’s experiences of other relationships with non-estranged family members, work colleagues, and potential partners and friends. These findings suggest social work practice that is focused on understanding and addressing grief reactions, a critical examination of family, stress reduction, and reconnection to safe and trusting relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Australian Social Work is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)