Assignment: Family Life-Cycle Stages

Although every individual experiences family life-cycle transitions in unique ways, common challenges and experiences often arise at these transition periods. For example, many couples experience changes in their sexual relationship after they become parents. Likewise, adults’ understanding of what it means to have “positive” sexual functioning may differ at different stages in the family life cycle. It is important for helping professionals to pay attention to the unique needs of the individual clients they serve, while also keeping in mind these common challenges and experiences that may arise.

The family life-cycle stages you will consider for this assignment are:

• Single adulthood
• Committed, long-term relationships
• Becoming parents
• Divorce/relationship termination and remarriage/re-partnering
• Older adulthood

The Assignment (2- to 3-page paper):

Use the five family life-cycle stages listed in the Sexuality in Adulthood Across the Family Life Cycle chart to organize your thoughts for this assignment. For this paper:

• Describe two common sexuality-related transitions or concerns at each stage.
• Provide two examples of how research and theory characterize positive sexual functioning during each stage.
• Briefly describe how you might intervene or use this information to assist clients.