ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationship between the family and the peer group in an historical framework. It is structured around an analysis of specific periods: (a) the decades spanning the turn of the century, the so-called Progressive Era; (b) the decades between World Wars I and II; (c) World War II to the present. For each period, the major psychological theories are summarized, and placed in the context of the contemporary social and political concerns. The impact of these factors on the understanding of relationships between the family and the peer group is explored. The analysis suggests that at each period various social institutions were established and promoted that had a major impact on the linkages between the family and the peer group.
