ABSTRACT
The importance of friendship and family relationships for happiness was noted in Chapter 1. In this chapter, a fuller exploration of positive relationships is the central concern. The family lifecycle is a particularly useful
framework within which to conceptualise the development of positive relationships. Families are unique social systems insofar as membership is based on combinations of biological, legal, affectional, geographic and historical ties. In contrast to other social systems, entry into family systems is through birth, adoption, fostering or marriage and members can leave only by death. Severing all family connections is never possible. Furthermore, while family members fulfil certain roles which entail specific definable tasks such as the provision of food and shelter, it is the relationships within families which are primary and irreplaceable. With single-parenthood, divorce, separation and remarriage as common events, a narrow and traditional definition of the family is no longer useful (Walsh, 1993).
