This book documents the third in a series of annual symposia on family issues--the National Symposium on International Migration and Family Change: The Experience of U.S. Immigrants--held at Pennsylvania State University. Although most existing literature on migration focuses solely on the origin, numbers, and economic success of migrants, this book examines how migration affects family relations and child development. By exploring the experiences of immigrant families, particularly as they relate to assimilation and adaptation processes, the text provides information that is central to a better understanding of the migrant experience and its affect on family outcomes. Policymakers and academics alike will take interest in the questions this book addresses: * Does the fact that migrant offspring get involved in U.S. culture more quickly than their parents jeopardize the parents' effectiveness in preventing the development of antisocial behavior? * How does the change in culture and language affect the cognitive development of children and youth? * Does exposure to patterns of family organizations, so prevalent in the United States (cohabitation, divorce, nonmarital childbearing), decrease the stability of immigrant families? * Does the poverty facing many immigrant families lead to harsher and less supportive child-rearing practices? * What familial and extra-familial conditions promote "resilience" in immigrant parents and their children? * Does discrimination, coupled with the need for rapid adaption, create stress that erodes marital quality and the parent-child bond in immigrant families? * What policies enhance or impede immigrant family links to U.S. institutions?

In recent years, there has been an explosion of research on the early origins of adult health. A growing body of evidence documents that maternal health before conception, prenatal and perinatal exposures, and conditions in childhood play critical roles in health over the life course. Scientific understanding of the multiple and interacting influences on child health and their role in later health continues to evolve rapidly, but greater attention to how families shape the conditions of early life that underlie childhood health is needed. This volume aims to advance understanding of this topic, with attention to mechanisms through which health disparities emerge and are sustained across the lifespan.

The family can be a model of loving support, a crucible of pathology, or some blend of the two. Across disciplines, it is also the basic unit for studying human relationships, patterns of behavior, and influence on individuals and society. As family structures evolve and challenge previous societal norms, new means are required for understanding their dynamics, and for improving family interventions and policies. Emerging Methods in Family Research details innovative approaches designed to keep researchers apace with the diversity and complexities of today's families. This versatile idea-book offers meaningful new ways to represent multiple forms of diversity in family structure and process, cutting-edge updates to family systems models and measurement methods, and guidance on the research process, from designing projects to analyzing findings. These chapters provide not only new frameworks for basic research on families, but also prime examples of their practical use in intervention and policy studies. Contributors also consider the similarities and differences between the study of individuals and the study of family relationships and systems. Included in the coverage: Use of nonlinear dynamic models to study families as coordinated symbiotic systems. Use of network models for understanding change and diversity in the formal structure of American families. Representing trends and moment-to-moment variability in dyadic and family processes using state-space modeling techniques. Why qualitative and ethnographic methods are essential for understanding family life. Methods in multi-site trials of family-based interventions. Implementing the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) to analyze the effects of family interventions. Researchers in human development, family studies, clinical and developmental psychology, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, and social welfare as well as public policy researchers will welcome Emerging Methods in Family Research as a resource to inspire novel approaches to studying families.

Biosocial Research Contributions to Family Processes and Problems, based on the 17th annual National Symposium on Family Issues, examines biosocial models and processes in the context of the family. Research on both biological and social/environmental influences on behavior, health, and development is represented, including behavioral endocrinology, behavior genetics, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, sociology, demography, anthropology, economics, and psychology. The authors consider physiological and social environmental influences on parenting and early childhood development, followed by adolescent adjustment, and family formation. Also, factors that influence how families adapt to social inequalities are examined.

This provocative volume is comprised of psychological, socioeconomic, and cultural perspectives on couple dynamics, particularly gender dynamics, and the future of marriage. Featuring data on married, cohabitating, male/female, and same-sex couples, the authors of the book's chapters analyze the changing impacts of work, parenting, and the health benefits of marriage for men and women. Trajectories in the evolution toward gender equality provide the backdrop for discussions of women and men as partners, parents, and workers in contemporary society. Contributors also keep a sharp focus on the complexities of gender issues as they intersect with crucial contexts of cohort, class, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Among the topics covered: Gender equality and economic inequality: impacts on marriage. Expansionist theory expanded: integrating sociological and psychological perspectives on gender, work, and family change. Gender, work, and family: action in the interactions. Changes in U.S. mothers' and fathers' time use: causes and consequences. A case for gay fathers. Gender, marriage, and health for same-sex and different-sex couples Gender and Couple Relationships documents social roles and social change with fascinating insight to advance research in fields of psychology, sociology, demography and economics and to the benefit of work organizations, policy makers, family and couple therapists and other mental health professionals.

"Early Adulthood in a Family Context," based on the 18th annual National Symposium on Family Issues, emphasizes the importance of both the family of origin and new and highly variable types of family formation experiences that occur in early adulthood. This volume showcases new theoretical, methodological, and measurement insights in hopes of advancing understanding of the influence of the family of origin on young adults' lives. Both family resources and constraints with respect to economic, social, and human capital are considered.

This volume is based on the presentations and discussions of a national symposium on "Couples in Conflict" that focused on family issues. A common thread throughout is that constructive conflict and negotiation are beneficial for relationships. Together, the chapters provide a foundation for thinking about creative ways in which our society can work to prevent or minimize destructive couple conflict and to enhance couples' abilities to constructively handle their differences. Divided into four parts, this book: *addresses the societal and bioevolutionary underpinnings of couple conflict; *presents the interpersonal roots of couple conflict and the consequences for individuals and couples; *discusses what effects couple conflict have on children and how individual differences in children moderate these effects; and *outlines the issue of policies and programs that address couple conflict. This book concludes with an essay that pulls these four themes together and points to new directions for research and program efforts.

Any parent who has raised more than one child is likely to be keenly aware of subtle or even striking differences among their offspring. The central premise of this volume is that children bring personal qualities to their relationships with other family members that help shape family interaction, relationships, and even processes that family researchers have called "parenting." The chapters address how children's personal qualities make their mark on families in ways that may in turn influence children's subsequent development.
The volume is based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposium on "Children's influence on family dynamics: The neglected side of family relationships" held at the Pennsylvania State University, as the ninth in a series of annual interdisciplinary symposia focused on family issues. It is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of the topic. Part I sets the stage by focusing on the features of children that make a difference, as well as the kinds of research designs that are likely to shed light on the role of child influences. Part II focuses on early childhood, particularly the role of infant temperament and other individual differences in very young children in shaping their parents' behaviors, reactions in turn that feedback and influence the developing child. Part III focuses on adolescence, a time when young people are able to exert more choice in how they spend their time and who they spend it with. Part IV pulls the themes of the volume together and points the way for future research.

Based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposia, "Just Living Together" represents one of the first systematic efforts to focus on cohabitation. The book is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of cohabitation. Part I addresses the big picture question, "What are the historical and cross cultural foundations of cohabitation?" Part II focuses specifically on North America and asks, "What is the role of cohabitation in contemporary North American family structure?" Part III turns the focus to the question, "What is the long- and short-term impact of cohabitation on child well-being?" Part IV addresses how cohabiting couples are affected by current policies and what policy innovations could be introduced to support these couples.
Providing a road map for future research, program development, and policymaking. "Just Living Together" will serve as an important resource for people interested in learning about variations in the ways families of today are choosing to organize themselves.

Based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposium on family-school links held at the Pennsylvania State University, this volume brings together psychologists, sociologists, educators, and policymakers studying the bidirectional effects between schools and families. This topic -- the links between families and schools, and how these affect children's educational achievement -- encompasses a host of questions, each of key social and educational significance. * How far does parental involvement in schools affect children's experiences and achievement at school? * What explains the great differences between schools, families, and communities in the extent of such involvement? * Are these differences a matter of school practices, or do they reflect much broader social and cultural divisions? * What is the nature of the impact schools have on children and their families? * How can family-school-partnerships be fostered in a way that helps children? The chapter authors consider these questions and related issues, present different perspectives, highlight various aspects of the issues, and suggest widely differing answers. This volume's goal is to provide the reader with current information on what is known about family-school-community links, and to provoke new ways of thinking about these links and their implications for children's education and well-being.

Stepfamilies represent an increasing number of American households and shape the upbringing of countless stepchildren. Despite their prominence in society, our knowledge about these families is very limited. To address this deficit, the editors have drawn together the work of 16 nationally known scholars to deal with four questions:
* Marriages that create stepfamilies: Why do they occur? Fail? Succeed?
* How do stepfamilies function as child rearing environments?
* How do stepfamilies function as sources of support in later life?
* Building research and policy agendas: What is needed?
In seeking answers to these questions, the book bridges the disciplines of psychology, sociology, social psychology, child development, demography, law and policy. Readers will gain an understanding of the current knowledge about stepfamilies, obtain an appreciation of the diverse views on a variety of stepfamily issues, learn about existing and anticipated laws and policies that affect stepfamilies, and acquire ideas on needed research and policy agendas. Chapter authors are leading figures in psychology, sociology, demography, human development, and family law; their contributions are valuable to researchers, teachers, and students as well as policymakers and legislatures.

The widening gap between the rich and the poor is turning the American dream into an impossibility for many, particularly children and families. And as the children of low-income families grow to adulthood, they have less access to opportunities and resources than their higher-income peers--and increasing odds of repeating the experiences of their parents. Families in an Era of Increasing Inequality probes the complex relations between social inequality and child development and examines possibilities for disrupting these ongoing patterns. Experts across the social sciences track trends in marriage, divorce, employment, and family structure across socioeconomic strata in the U.S. and other developed countries. These family data give readers a deeper understanding of how social class shapes children's paths to adulthood and how those paths continue to diverge over time and into future generations. In addition, contributors critique current policies and programs that have been created to reduce disparities and offer suggestions for more effective alternatives. Among the topics covered: Inequality begins at home: the role of parenting in the diverging destinies of rich and poor children. Inequality begins outside the home: putting parental educational investments into context. How class and family structure impact the transition to adulthood. Dealing with the consequences of changes in family composition. Dynamic models of poverty-related adversity and child outcomes. The diverging destinies of children and what it means for children's lives. As new initiatives are sought to improve the lives of families and children in the short and long term, Families in an Era of Increasing Inequality is a key resource for researchers and practitioners in family studies, social work, health, education, sociology, demography, and psychology.

First published in 1987. This volume explores the inter-war unemployment problem and the development of economic and social policy in relation to that problem. Contemporary policies and levels of unemployment can only be compared with the inter-war period and in recent years economists and other commentators have increasingly turned their attention to the 1930s. This book is written by a group of expert historians and policy analysts who have been in the forefront of recent research. In particular, new insights into economic policy which have come from the release of cabinet and departmental papers at The Public Record Office are revealed. Recent economic theory is also taken into account and the findings question established views on many grounds. New economic lessons from the 1930s are suggested and some astonishing similarities to the 1980s and demonstrated. This work will be essential reading for students of modern British history and economic and social history as well as economic policy and government and politics.

First published in 1987. This volume explores the inter-war unemployment problem and the development of economic and social policy in relation to that problem. Contemporary policies and levels of unemployment can only be compared with the inter-war period and in recent years economists and other commentators have increasingly turned their attention to the 1930s. This book is written by a group of expert historians and policy analysts who have been in the forefront of recent research. In particular, new insights into economic policy which have come from the release of cabinet and departmental papers at The Public Record Office are revealed. Recent economic theory is also taken into account and the findings question established views on many grounds. New economic lessons from the 1930s are suggested and some astonishing similarities to the 1980s and demonstrated. This work will be essential reading for students of modern British history and economic and social history as well as economic policy and government and politics.

Since first publication in 1976, Modern Britain has been widely used as a comprehensive and straightforward introduction to some of the most important features of British life today. The author provides a clear account of a wide range of topics that are keys to understanding the British culture including the system of government, the structure of education, the social services, family life and the mass media. This third edition has been fully revised to take account of important developments and current debates, such as whether the monarchy has become too expensive, the role of the poll tax in Margaret Thatcher's downfall, and the Church of England's decision to ordain women priests. While writing this book John Irwin has been particularly conscious of the needs of foreign students, but Modern Britain will be equally useful to school students in Britain and, indeed, to anyone with an interest in knowing how modern British institutions developed and how they work today.

Based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposium on family-school links held at the Pennsylvania State University, this volume brings together psychologists, sociologists, educators, and policymakers studying the bidirectional effects between schools and families. This topic -- the links between families and schools, and how these affect children's educational achievement -- encompasses a host of questions, each of key social and educational significance. * How far does parental involvement in schools affect children's experiences and achievement at school? * What explains the great differences between schools, families, and communities in the extent of such involvement? * Are these differences a matter of school practices, or do they reflect much broader social and cultural divisions? * What is the nature of the impact schools have on children and their families? * How can family-school-partnerships be fostered in a way that helps children? The chapter authors consider these questions and related issues, present different perspectives, highlight various aspects of the issues, and suggest widely differing answers. This volume's goal is to provide the reader with current information on what is known about family-school-community links, and to provoke new ways of thinking about these links and their implications for children's education and well-being.

This classic volume provides a solid foundation for thinking about creative ways in which our society can work to prevent or minimize destructive couple conflict and enhance couples' abilities to constructively handle their differences. A common thread throughout is that constructive conflict and negotiation are beneficial for relationships. The new introduction provides an overview of how this classic text is still relevant today. Divided into four parts, this book: *addresses the societal and bio-evolutionary underpinnings of couple conflict; *presents the interpersonal roots of couple conflict and the consequences for individuals and couples; *discusses what effects couple conflict have on children and how individual differences in children moderate these effects; *outlines policies and programs that address couple conflict; and * concludes with an essay that pulls these four themes together and points to new directions for research and program efforts. This book serves as a supplement in graduate or advanced undergraduate courses on interpersonal relationships, couples and/or family and conflict, divorce, couples and/or family therapy taught in human development and family studies, clinical or counseling psychology, social work, sociology, and communications and it is also a helpful compendium for researchers and clinicians/counselors interested in couple conflict.

In this classic edition top scholars in family research examine the nature and origin of adolescents' contemporary patterns of sexual and romantic relationships, from the evolutionary roots of these behaviors to policies and programs that represent best practices for addressing these issues in schools and communities. The text offers interdisciplinary expertise from scholars of psychology, social work, sociology, demography, economics, human development and family studies, and public policy. Adolescents and young adults today face very different choices about family formation than did their parents' generation, given such societal changes as the rise in cohabitation, the increase in divorce rates, and families having fewer children. This book examines these demographic trends and provides a backdrop against which adolescents and emerging adults form and maintain romantic and sexual relationships. This book addresses such questions as: *What are the ways in which early family and peer relationships give rise to romantic relationships in the late adolescent and early adult years? *How do early romantic and sexual relationships influence individuals' subsequent development and life choices, including family formation? *To what extent are current trends in romantic and sexual relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood problematic for individuals, families, and communities, and what are the most effective ways to address these issues at the level of practice, program, and policy? Ideal as a supplement in graduate or advanced undergraduate courses on interpersonal (romantic) relationships, adolescent development, human sexuality, couples and/or family and conflict, sociology of children and youth, family therapy taught in human development and family studies, clinical or counseling psychology, social work, sociology, communications, and human sexuality this book also appreciated by researchers and clinicians/counselors who work with families and adolescents.

This classic volume provides a solid foundation for thinking about creative ways in which our society can work to prevent or minimize destructive couple conflict and enhance couples' abilities to constructively handle their differences. A common thread throughout is that constructive conflict and negotiation are beneficial for relationships. The new introduction provides an overview of how this classic text is still relevant today. Divided into four parts, this book: *addresses the societal and bio-evolutionary underpinnings of couple conflict; *presents the interpersonal roots of couple conflict and the consequences for individuals and couples; *discusses what effects couple conflict have on children and how individual differences in children moderate these effects; *outlines policies and programs that address couple conflict; and * concludes with an essay that pulls these four themes together and points to new directions for research and program efforts. This book serves as a supplement in graduate or advanced undergraduate courses on interpersonal relationships, couples and/or family and conflict, divorce, couples and/or family therapy taught in human development and family studies, clinical or counseling psychology, social work, sociology, and communications and it is also a helpful compendium for researchers and clinicians/counselors interested in couple conflict.

In this classic edition top scholars in family research examine the nature and origin of adolescents' contemporary patterns of sexual and romantic relationships, from the evolutionary roots of these behaviors to policies and programs that represent best practices for addressing these issues in schools and communities. The text offers interdisciplinary expertise from scholars of psychology, social work, sociology, demography, economics, human development and family studies, and public policy. Adolescents and young adults today face very different choices about family formation than did their parents' generation, given such societal changes as the rise in cohabitation, the increase in divorce rates, and families having fewer children. This book examines these demographic trends and provides a backdrop against which adolescents and emerging adults form and maintain romantic and sexual relationships. This book addresses such questions as: *What are the ways in which early family and peer relationships give rise to romantic relationships in the late adolescent and early adult years? *How do early romantic and sexual relationships influence individuals' subsequent development and life choices, including family formation? *To what extent are current trends in romantic and sexual relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood problematic for individuals, families, and communities, and what are the most effective ways to address these issues at the level of practice, program, and policy? Ideal as a supplement in graduate or advanced undergraduate courses on interpersonal (romantic) relationships, adolescent development, human sexuality, couples and/or family and conflict, sociology of children and youth, family therapy taught in human development and family studies, clinical or counseling psychology, social work, sociology, communications, and human sexuality this book also appreciated by researchers and clinicians/counselors who work with families and adolescents.

In this volume, Romance and Sex in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Risks and Opportunities, top scholars in the field of family research examine the nature and origin of adolescents' contemporary patterns of sexual and romantic relationships, spanning such diverse topics as the evolutionary roots of these behaviors, as well as policies and programs that represent best practices for addressing these issues in schools and communities. The text offers interdisciplinary expertise from scholars of psychology, social work, sociology, demography, economics, human development and family studies, and public policy. Adolescents and young adults today face very different choices about family formation than did their parents' generation, given such societal changes as the rise in cohabitation, the increase in divorce rates, and families having fewer children. These demographic trends are linked in important ways and provide a backdrop against which adolescents and emerging adults form and maintain romantic and sexual relationships. Editors Crouter and Booth address such questions as: *What are the ways in which early family and peer relationships give rise to romantic relationships in the late adolescent and early adult years? *How do early romantic and sexual relationships influence individuals' subsequent development and life choices, including family formation? *To what extent are current trends in romantic and sexual relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood problematic for individuals, families, and communities, and what are the most effective ways to address these issues at the level of practice, program, and policy? Romance and Sex in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Risks and Opportunities is an enlightening compilation of essays for academicians and upper-lever undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of human development and family studies, sociology, and psychology, as well as for practitioners in those fields who work with families and adolescents. The chapters are accessible to a wide variety of audiences.

Teaching History at University examines how high-quality history teaching and learning can be achieved in today's universities worldwide. Alan Booth draws on a wide range of international research as well as the reflections and experiences of university historians, linking theory and practice. This is an essential resource for university teachers and all those who are responsible for ensuring the quality of teaching and learning policies and practices within their institutions.

Recently, the roles of fathers and husbands in families have been recognized as important issues. They appear in legislation aimed at deadbeat dads, social movements including the Million Man March and Promise Keepers, in the development of advocacy groups, and in think tanks. Therefore, contemporary research on men in family relationships has very mixed results. Some studies show that fathers have small effects on child development and in preventing antisocial behavior, whereas others suggest no effects. Other research claims that the primary importance of men in families is in their role as providers. Although some studies state that the husbands' and fathers' most vital work occurs in new families, others indicate that it is when their offspring reach adolescence. Confusing the issue even further, labor market trends predict that men's family roles may diminish. Based on the presentations and discussions from a recent national symposium on men in families held at The Pennsylvania State University, this book addresses these issues.
This is the only book that deals with men's involvement in families in a comprehensive way. Although several books focus on fathers alone or on a broader family perspective, this is the first book that deals with a variety of family roles on an interdisciplinary basis. Although most of the writers are psychologists or sociologists, there are key figures in history and anthropology who also make important contributions. As such, this volume will be useful to scholars, students, policy specialists, and family program administrators.

Bringing together professionals from sociology, economics, psychology, and family studies, this volume presents papers from a symposium on child care that sought answers to each of the four questions listed in the table of contents. A lead speaker provided an answer, and discussants had a chance to critique the main presentation and set forth their own views. Each session also included a policy person to deal with issues from an applied perspective. The lead papers, review papers, and rejoinders constitute the contents of this volume. Interdisciplinary in scope, it deals with the central issue in a systematic way and attempts to present divergent points of view on each question. As such, it provides the reader with current information and a review of issues intended to provoke new ways of thinking about child care.

This book documents the third in a series of annual symposia on family issues--the National Symposium on International Migration and Family Change: The Experience of U.S. Immigrants--held at Pennsylvania State University.
Although most existing literature on migration focuses solely on the origin, numbers, and economic success of migrants, this book examines how migration affects family relations and child development. By exploring the experiences of immigrant families, particularly as they relate to assimilation and adaptation processes, the text provides information that is central to a better understanding of the migrant experience and its affect on family outcomes.
Policymakers and academics alike will take interest in the questions this book addresses:
* Does the fact that migrant offspring get involved in U.S. culture more quickly than their parents jeopardize the parents' effectiveness in preventing the development of antisocial behavior?
* How does the change in culture and language affect the cognitive development of children and youth?
* Does exposure to patterns of family organizations, so prevalent in the United States (cohabitation, divorce, nonmarital childbearing), decrease the stability of immigrant families?
* Does the poverty facing many immigrant families lead to harsher and less supportive child-rearing practices?
* What familial and extra-familial conditions promote "resilience" in immigrant parents and their children?
* Does discrimination, coupled with the need for rapid adaption, create stress that erodes marital quality and the parent-child bond in immigrant families?
* What policies enhance or impede immigrant family links to U.S. institutions?