Turning points of closeness in the mother-son relationship.

The purpose of the current project is to investigate the historically understudied nature of the mother-son relationship. While there is a significant portion of research in parent-child relationships regarding gender identification and same-sex parent-child dyadic communication, a significant gap in communication research regarding cross-gendered parent-child relationships continues to exist. The focus of this project is twofold: (1) to discover significant turning points of closeness between mother and son, i.e. significant life events that either increased or decreased intimacy in the mother-son relationship; and (2) to examine relationship variables that influence mother-son closeness. This study hopes to identify not only significant moments of closeness within the mother-son relationship, but also what events and influences affect the fluid dynamic of intimacy between mother and son.