Making Meaning of the Parent–Child Relationship: A Dialogic Analysis of Parent-Initiated Estrangement Narratives

This study employs relational dialectics theory to explore the meaning of the parent–child relationship from the perspective of parents who distanced themselves from their children. Contrapuntal analysis of 36 online narratives revealed 2 discourses competing to make meaning of the parent–child relationship. The discourse of inseparable connection (DIC) drew upon themes of unconditional love, biology, and permanent role identification, constructing parents and children as forever connected; the discourse of effortful transactions (DET) manifested through themes of reciprocal respect and positive emotions, work and support exchanges, and physical and emotional boundary negotiation. Overall, the DET worked to challenge assumptions of the DIC, undermining culturally dominant understandings of family permanence through talk of parent–child relationships characterized by a reciprocal give-and-take.