Are We in an Estrangement Epidemic?

Rin Reczek spent two decades studying families before she turned her research toward estrangement. What she found in the data took her by complete surprise. In this conversation, the sociologist and author of Families We Lose explains why the estrangement rate probably isn't actually rising, why the language of "honor thy father and mother" shows up even in nonreligious families, and why grandparent estrangement is almost never the selfish, spiteful choice it gets painted as online.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- What "compulsory kinship" means, and how biology-based language like "step" and "half" quietly signals hierarchy in families

- Why religious phrases about honoring parents show up in estrangement stories even among people who aren't religious

- Why the data doesn't support the idea that adult children are cutting off grandparents to be controlling or spiteful

Connect with Rin Reczek

Website: www.rinreczek.com

Buy Rin’s Book: https://amzn.to/4guKWI2

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club: https://callinghome.co

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