“We're Not Speaking Any More”: A Cross-Cultural Study of Intergenerational Cut-Offs

Abstract

This study of individuals in the U.S. and Tamil Nadu, India, examines the reasons given for voluntary limitations on contact between adult children and their parents (“cut-offs”). We examine the possibly that these breeches occur as a solution to the problem of negative social relationships by looking at the different cultural contexts of the U.S. and India. We challenge Bowen's (1978) assertion that intergenerational cut-offs always occur in the vain attempt to promote differentiation and propose a system for categorizing the reasons given for cut-offs, and explore the research and practice implications of the findings. Although based on a limited sample, this paper provides an important contribution to this understudied aspect of interpersonal relationships.