Author(s): Martin Luther
The quality of parent-child interactions, the satisfaction and stability of romantic relationships, and a variety of developmental outcomes for adults and children are all correlated with social class or socioeconomic level, according to research conducted over the previous ten years. The evidence supporting potential explanations for these correlations is the main topic of this review. The interactionist model of the relationship between SES and family life, which combines assumptions from both the social causality and social selection viewpoints, is supported by research findings published over the past ten years. The study comes to a close with suggestions for future studies on SES, family dynamics, and individual growth in light of significant theoretical and methodological challenges that still need to be resolved. We evaluate the economic changes that families have gone through from 2000 to the current day as we start this study. Unfortunately, this assessment shows that the current economic crisis has caused serious financial issues for many families in today's society. After discussing the state of the economy, we move on to the evidence supporting the link between socioeconomic status (SES) and the following variables: 1) adult romantic relationships that are stable and satisfying, 2) parent-child relationships that are of high quality, and 3) the personal adjustment of both adults and children. Our search for information using Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, and direct examination of important family and developmental periodicals like Journal of Marriage and Family used these and related keywords as a guide.