Life transitions and the adult sibling tie: a qualitative study

Data from a sample of 60 sibling dyads (120 respondents) aged 25 to 89 are used to examine the effect of life transitions on the adult sibling tie. The life events of a respondent or his or her sibling(s) include: marriage, having children, divorce, widowhood, and the death or health problems of family members. Among those reporting change, modal responses for each life event are: marriage-closer ties, improved relations, less closeness, and less frequent contact; children-emotionally closer, more frequent contact, divorce and widowhood-emotionally closer, more frequent contact, support from sibling, improved tie; family members' death or poor health-emotionally closer.