This study examined parent-child roles through the lens of identity theory, which views one's identity primarily in terms of roles and interactions individuals have within the structure of society. The setting for the study is an Outward Bound (OB) family course. Individuals arrive at such a course with certain predefined roles or behavioral expectations attached to their social positions within their families. The setting and related activities of the OB course introduce family members into a novel social situation which may create the necessity or opportunity to re-negotiate previously established roles. The OB family course engages pairs/trios of family members in challenging activities in a wilderness setting as a way to promote personal and social growth and development.
Twenty-two individuals participated in this study: eight father/child dyads (son or daughter); a grandfather/grandson dyad; and four OB instructors. Data analyzed for this study included participant observation, field notes, interviews, and related artifacts (promotional materials, photographs, and videos). The interviews were conducted privately, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. The data analysis focused “on ways in which fathers and children negotiated this novel setting with specific attention to role related behavior, and the shifting or altering of rights and obligations within an established relationship.”
Both OB participants and instructors indicated that the OB course functioned as an equalizing experience for the fathers and children. They described ways in which the demands and expectations of the course led to role restructuring, such that the roles of parent and child were equalized or reversed. Factors influencing the extent of this role restructuring included fear, care taking, previous OB experience, the role of the course instructors, and role conflict.
This research suggests that the challenge and intensity of the OB experience, combined with the physical and social environment, provided opportunities for a renegotiation of parent-child roles. The resulting “equalizing experience” was deemed to have a positive impact on the father-child relationship that persisted after the OB experience. The “equalizing experience” was considered to be, in some respects, intrinsic to the wilderness setting, where mutual reliance and care taking were naturally encouraged. Families participating in this research were predominately white with middle to upper-middle class incomes. Recommendations for future research include working with a more diverse population.
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