From adolescents to young adults. Parent-child relationships become more egalitarian and the father's emotional position is even more marginalised

Based on a transition model of the family, we compare the family relationship structure in two samples of families which differ in terms of the stage of family development. In the first sample the children are adolescents and in the second they are young adults. We focus on two dimensions of family structure in a systemic self-reporting method (Subjektives Familienbild, Mattejat and Scholz 1994): emotional bonds between family members ("Valenz") and individual autonomy ("Potertz"). As expected, adolescents and young adults report experiencing different relationship structures. Young adults are more likely than adolescents to perceive family relationships as egalitarian. Strong hints of the emotionally marginal position of the father are discussed in terms of transition theory. Conclusions for diagnosis, counseling, and therapy are drawn. Although the self-reporting method used was developed in a psychiatric context, it has also proved to be a useful diagnostic instrument for family research in a nonclinical context.