A Reviews of the Mid-life Parent-child Relationship Research since the 1990s:

Results and Challenges of the Parasite Singles Theory

Abstract

    This paper reviews the trends in mid-life parent-child relationships since the 1990s, with a focus on the parasite single theory, proposed by Masahiro Yamada in his 1999 book titled “The Age of Parasite Singles” (Chikuma Shinsho). This paper examines the logic behind the parasite single theory and summarizes the impact it has had on different areas of family studies such as the family change theory, the modern family theory, and the exchange theory. After summarizing the findings of the substantial empirical research that has been conducted over the past 20 years, the future objectives for research on mid-life parent-child relationships will be outlined as follows: (1) Re-arranging concepts and target settings, and examining basic presuppositions such as co-residence and the rate of co-residence; (2) Enhancing theoretical explanations that focus on mid-life parent-child relationships; and (3) Improving the approach to middle-aged and older people who are single, especially single men and only children with unstable employment. As the data expands, the future hypothesis on parasite singles is expected to be formulated based on detailed analyses that take into account not only marriage and the state of living with one's parents, but also factors such as the ranking between siblings and the hierarchy between a parent and child, which in turn will reveal the long-term causes and effects of the parasite single phenomenon.