All events are free and open to the public.
While the romanticized Ozzie and Harriet family of the 1950s never existed, this myth of family still prevails as the yardstick by which contemporary American families are measured. Although the hand-wringing over the state of the American family is nothing new, it is based on whether one particular structure will survive. Constance Ahrons takes the position that we need to change the nature of the structure versus process discourse on family values and focus instead on the complexities of family diversity and change over the life course. Using this life course perspective, Ahrons has been studying 98 divorced families over 20 years, examining the process of family reorganization and change that divorce sets in motion. During this colloquium, Ahrons will discuss the relational dynamics of these complex variations, how they change over time, and how they affect the lives of parents and children.