Understanding Family Role Reallocation following a Death: A Theoretical Framework

Families in which a parent has died will show a variety of reactions and recovery patterns. This article examines several factors which contribute to this variance. Within the framework of a developmental role analysis of the family system, the influence of the stage of the family life cycle, the roles of the deceased, previous patterns of role allocation, and the type of death are discussed. It is suggested that “person oriented” families, characterized by achieved roles, open communication, and flexible power structures, will more effectively reallocate family roles following the death of a spouse/parent. On contrast, “position oriented” families, characterized by ascribed roles, closed communication, and relatively inflexible power structures, will be too dependent on cultural norms and will lack the role-reallocating mechanisms necessary to ensure adequate family functioning following such a death.