Every family: intergenerational estrangement between older parents and their adult-children

This qualitative investigation of intergenerational family estrangement commenced in 2007, with the main aim of exploring and understanding the lived experience of older people estranged from an adult-child or children. It sought to explore how people defined, explained, experienced, and made sense of estrangement from a family member in later life. A qualitative methodology grounded in the interpretive constructivist paradigm was employed. This approach required extended engagement, a flexible research design, and placed the person experiencing the phenomenon at the centre of the research. Data was collected from 25 participants who had been estranged. Two in-depth interviews were conducted with most participants, with some participants using diaries to record additional data. A researcher’s journal was used to record field notes and methodological decision-making. An interpretive phenomenological analysis was conducted. A systematic review of the literature revealed family estrangement was a conceptually complex and under-researched phenomenon. Yet, this study found that estrangement was not an uncommon experience in families, it was not always resolvable, and it potentially affected the entire intergenerational family system. Many participants experienced family estrangement as a significant and traumatic loss, a situation exacerbated by its ambiguous nature and social disenfranchisement. Various factors were found to be associated with the development of family estrangement including events which could have contributed to the adult-child’s perception of being rejected or devalued by the participant, multiple concurrent family stressors, and interference by a third party aimed at alienating the adult-child from their parent. This study makes significant contributions to the fields of social work, family studies, and ageing. It appears to be the first rigorous qualitative exploration of intergenerational family estrangement, and offers rich and detailed description of the estrangement experience. The research adds to knowledge about later-life intergenerational relationships, and gives voice to older people who have experienced family estrangement. As a preliminary study, this research provides a foundation for a longer-term research and policy agenda which focuses on family estrangement.