Who Counts as Family Later in Life? Following Theoretical Leads

A critical, multilevel conceptual framework provides alternative ways of addressing the question, Who counts as family later in life? The conceptual approach incorporates core ideas from life course, critical, and feminist perspectives, as well as the concept of ambivalence. Three meanings of the word count are used to address who should be included as family, which family ties are personally meaningful in the second half of life, and which family ties are significant sources of support. The article closes by exploring how to make research count: What are the policy and research implications of variations in who should be counted as family, who counts subjectively, and who can be counted on in mid‐ and later life? The macro–meso–micro framework connects societal and institutional arrangements to individuals and their family ties, emphasizing the need to balance individual and collective responsibility in order to support family relations across the life course.