ABSTRACT
The overarching purpose of our program of research has been to understand the role of adolescents’ experiences of individuality and connectedness in close relationships; the family experiences that facilitate children’s, adolescents’, and young adults’ development of these qualities and other valued goals in their cultural communities; and the reciprocal linkages between such individual “outcomes,” experiences in family and other relationships, and cultural and economic context. We view development across the life span as closely connected to culture and economic opportunities. In this chapter, we review our original theory and empirical work, then present three focal themes of our continuing work: identity, relationships, and cultural and economic context. In doing so we highlight conceptual, empirical, and methodological advances.
