ABSTRACT
Ralph Ellison, in his classic novel Invisible Man, he artfully chronicled the impact of nested contradictions in history, political ideologies, work, kinship relations, and personal development on one man's life. The nameless man's work and family roles reflected the interplay between visible and invisible social forces of the time. Elder indicated that the life-course paradigm draws on a broad array of intellectual traditions including life-span development theory, social age systems, life history studies, intergenerational research, and role theory. Through the integration of these various intellectual streams, the life-course paradigm comprises multiple interrelated themes, three of which are directiy relevant to this discussion. These themes include: Individuals as agents and mediators of social change, social interdependence, and the timing of lives. The timing of lives refers to the multiple temporal contexts in which an individual acquires work and family roles. Adopting a social interdependence perspective facilitates explorations of the interconnections between the work-family interface over historical time across different ethnic groups.
