Some relationships are within the family -- such as between parents and children, grandparents and children and between siblings -- while others are between friends. In some cases, these distinctions are blurred (Are short-term partners family members? Are family members seen as such when relations become unfriendly? Does divorce, if amicable, replace a family with a friendship?). Using quantitative, cutting-edge statistical analysis, in conjunction with a multi-disciplinary approach, the contributors to this volume address the contemporary state of and dynamics in these various types of relationships, linking these to key rites of passage such as leaving home, marriage and childbirth, to see how these stand after a period of rapid social change. The book will be of interest to scholars in a broad range of disciplines, including sociology, social policy and economics.

Some relationships are within the family -- such as between parents and children, grandparents and children and between siblings -- while others are between friends. In some cases, these distinctions are blurred (Are short-term partners family members? Are family members seen as such when relations become unfriendly? Does divorce, if amicable, replace a family with a friendship?). Using quantitative, cutting-edge statistical analysis, in conjunction with a multi-disciplinary approach, the contributors to this volume address the contemporary state of and dynamics in these various types of relationships, linking these to key rites of passage such as leaving home, marriage and childbirth, to see how these stand after a period of rapid social change. The book will be of interest to scholars in a broad range of disciplines, including sociology, social policy and economics.

This volume in the International Studies in Demography series analyses the changing patterns of family formation over the last twenty years. The analysis is set in the context of the demographic transition: the falling birth rates and ageing population of the industrialized countries. The contributors examine the changes in economic behaviour, the implications of demographic patterns for governmental policies and the effects these demographic patterns have on the availability of labour. The distinguished editors have succeeded in merging both economic and demographic analysis into a coherent whole, and this volume will be invaluable for academics and graduate students of both disciplines, who are interested in understanding the phenomenon of ageing societies. One strength of this book is the amount of data and analysis included on Japan and the Western world. The volume is divided into two parts, the former exploring the effects of economic considerations on family formation, while the latter deals with the impact of demographic patterns on economic behaviour, and especially with the distribution of economic resources as a smaller working population supports a growing number of the elderly. Subjects dealt with include the correlation between levels of cohabitation and personal economic resources; a model of the changes in optimal timing of childbearing in Britain using the earnings profile of the mothers; an exploration of how the changing age of marriage mitigates changes in population size; and the transfer of resources between generations.