2.8 Looking Ahead: Life Course Theory and COVID-19
Elizabeth B. Pearce
Because human development and family sciences is an interdisciplinary field, it uses theories and perspectives from a variety of disciplines. As a student in an introductory course using this book, it is unlikely that you will be asked to master multiple theories. It is, however, important that you attempt to understand and apply what you are learning about contemporary families to several theoretical frameworks. Look to see which theories or perspectives you find most relevant.
It is also the case that depending on societal events and changes, theories may seem more applicable at one time than another. For example, the most developed research related to the life course theory is based on World War II, one of the most impactful worldwide events in our history. While this might not feel as relatable to current students, it can be argued that the current COVID-19 pandemic may have as much and as many effects on the Millennial and Gen Z birth cohorts as World War II had on the Greatest Generation birth cohort.
In fact, a leading team of life course perspective scholars have already proposed a framework for studying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. While acknowledging that there is much that is unknown, they discuss two distinct aspects: having COVID-19 or being close to someone who has it and being affected by the overall cultural, economic, social, and psychological effects of the disease and the pandemic. They also note that positionality in terms of age, location, and life transition may differentiate the effects of the pandemic on an individual’s life course. The authors of “Understanding the Effects of Covid-19 through a Life Course Lens” wrote in 2020:
Looking forward, a life course perspective also asks us to identify which pandemic experiences will turn into permanent scars or reorientations for individuals and their families, and which will be open to resilience and be compensated for or even forgotten with time. Even more, it encourages researchers to…account for environment and policy considerations by specifying the conditions under which there will be scarring or resilience.
…[I]t is important to not only probe these dynamics at an individual level of analyses, but also to examine them for groups, especially birth cohorts or social generations. In historical moments like this, people of different ages are branded differently.
The pandemic is reshaping transitions and trajectories in every domain of life, and instigating turning points that redirect life. Many of these are negative, or at least challenging. The transition to adulthood, for example, has become longer, more variable, and risk-laden in many countries in recent decades. The pandemic is likely to heighten these trends through its effects on educational transitions, youth labor markets, chances for regional mobility, family formation, and general trust in the future. Likewise, at the other end of working life, the transition to retirement may become more difficult due to insecure pensions or insufficient savings or assets, just as leisure and volunteering activities or the grandparent role may become more difficult due to limited mobility or concerns about exposure to Covid-19. Indeed, throughout the life course, the age-based rhythm of many transitions may loosen in the face of uncertainty and de-standardize life trajectories (Settersten et al., 2020).
Can you see the ways that these authors are applying an equity lens to the pandemic? While we don’t have the data and ability to look at generational effects from the future, we can study the theory and the research and speculate about what future researchers may find. In addition, governments and other social structures have the opportunity to prepare policies and practices that will ameliorate potential negative consequences for large cohorts of people.
Licenses and Attributions for Looking Ahead: Life Course Theory and COVID-19
Open Content, Original
“Looking Ahead” by Elizabeth B. Pearce. License: CC BY 4.0.
References
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a systematic investigation into a particular topic, examining materials, sources, and/or behaviors.
a structural framework, explanation, or tool that has been tested and evaluated over time.
the developmental changes and transitions that come with being a child, adolescent, or adult.
ensuring that people have what they need in order to have a healthy, successful life that is equal to others. Different from equality in that some may receive more help than others in order to be at the same level of success.
the categorization of humans using observable physical or biological criteria, such as skin color, hair color or texture, facial features, etc.
concerned with equity, equality, fairness and sometimes punishment.