Many parents fear the time when their beautiful happy children will become unmanageable adolescents continually engaging in risky or destructive behaviour. Unfortunately, this view of adolescents is the focus of the media, even though it relates to just a small proportion of young people. As the large amount of research we report shows, most adolescents are responsible young people who care about their families and crave the support of their parents. It is also true, however, as much research indicates, that the quality of the relationship parents have with their adolescents is crucial to the wellbeing of those young people. We discuss the need for parents to set reasonable limits on their adolescents and to expect appropriate behavior. We also show, on the basis of research, that children who have experienced positive, caring relationships with their parents are more likely than other adolescents to behave responsibly. In other words, behavior in adolescence does not 'come out of nowhere' but builds on earlier experiences in the family. Because of the large amount of research reported in this volume, we expect that it will be useful to practitioners from a range of professions that are likely to focus on adolescents: social workers, youth leaders, welfare workers, religious leaders, psychologists and psychiatrists and contribute to a better understanding of young people and their development, and the importance of families to that development.

"Close Relationships: Functions, Forms and Processes" provides an overview of current theory and research in the area of close relationships, written by internationally renowned scholars whose work is at the cutting edge of research in the field.
The volume consists of three sections: introductory issues, types of relationships, and relationship processes. In the first section, there is an exploration of the functions and benefits of close relationships, the diversity of methodologies used to study them, and the changing social context in which close relationships are embedded. A second section examines the various types of close relationships, including family bonds and friendships. The third section focuses on key relationship processes, including attachment, intimacy, sexuality, and conflict.
This book is designed to be an essential resource for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, and practitioners, and will be suitable as a resource in advanced courses dealing with the social psychology of close relationships.

Adolescence can be a difficult time for all concerned. Issues such as high youth unemployment, sexual behaviour and drug abuse have made it a matter of great concern for the community at large, whether as parents, politicians or those working with adolescents in education and welfare. In addition, many parents fear that these problems could affect their own families. Originally published in 1991, the authors explore the complex needs of adolescents emphasising the importance of the family environment in helping adolescents cope with the many difficulties and changes they face during this period of their lives. The central theme is that adolescents, through conflict and negotiation, establish new but different relationships with their parents, relationships that can endure for a lifetime. The authors provide wide coverage of the key issues of adolescence, such as identity, separation from the family, and conflict, and look closely at the difficulties produced by events such as the divorce and re-marriage of parents, and social problems such as long-term unemployment. With its positive approach to the family and adolescents, this clear, concise and helpful book will be invaluable both to parents and to the many professionals whose work involves them with adolescents.

Personal Relationships Across the Lifespan presents a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the role of personal relationships in people's lives. Highlighting areas of special significance and research interest at each major life-stage, Patricia Noller, Judith A. Feeney and Candida Peterson, examine how close relationships develop over time and influence individual adjustment. They explore a wide range of relationships, including some that are often neglected, such as those with siblings, adult children and elderly parents. They also look at alternative family forms, such as single-parent families and step-families, and address important themes such as intimacy, conflict and power. With insightful discussion of the theory and methods typically used by researchers working in this area, Personal Relationships Across the Lifespan is an ideal resource for students and researchers of both relationships and lifespan development. It will also be of interest to practitioners, such as social workers and family therapists, working with clients with relational concerns and anyone wanting to learn more about the nature of relationships.

Personal Relationships Across the Lifespan presents a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the role of personal relationships in people's lives.
Highlighting areas of special significance and research interest at each major life-stage, Patricia Noller, Judith A. Feeney and Candida Peterson, examine how close relationships develop over time and influence individual adjustment. They explore a wide range of relationships, including some that are often neglected, such as those with siblings, adult children and elderly parents. They also look at alternative family forms, such as single-parent families and step-families, and address important themes such as intimacy, conflict and power.
With insightful discussion of the theory and methods typically used by researchers working in this area, Personal Relationships Across the Lifespan is an ideal resource for students and researchers of both relationships and lifespan development. It will also be of interest to practitioners, such as social workers and family therapists, working with clients with relational concerns and anyone wanting to learn more about the nature of relationships.

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Close Relationships: Functions, Forms and Processes provides an overview of current theory and research in the area of close relationships, written by internationally renowned scholars whose work is at the cutting edge of research in the field. The volume consists of three sections: introductory issues, types of relationships, and relationship processes. In the first section, there is an exploration of the functions and benefits of close relationships, the diversity of methodologies used to study them, and the changing social context in which close relationships are embedded. A second section examines the various types of close relationships, including family bonds and friendships. The third section focuses on key relationship processes, including attachment, intimacy, sexuality, and conflict. This book is designed to be an essential resource for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, and practitioners, and will be suitable as a resource in advanced courses dealing with the social psychology of close relationships.

Adolescence can be a difficult time for all concerned. Issues such as high youth unemployment, sexual behaviour and drug abuse have made it a matter of great concern for the community at large, whether as parents, politicians or those working with adolescents in education and welfare. In addition, many parents fear that these problems could affect their own families. Originally published in 1991, the authors explore the complex needs of adolescents emphasising the importance of the family environment in helping adolescents cope with the many difficulties and changes they face during this period of their lives. The central theme is that adolescents, through conflict and negotiation, establish new but different relationships with their parents, relationships that can endure for a lifetime. The authors provide wide coverage of the key issues of adolescence, such as identity, separation from the family, and conflict, and look closely at the difficulties produced by events such as the divorce and re-marriage of parents, and social problems such as long-term unemployment. With its positive approach to the family and adolescents, this clear, concise and helpful book will be invaluable both to parents and to the many professionals whose work involves them with adolescents.

What happens to couples when they become parents? Becoming Parents presents a landmark study of the transition to parenthood and its effects on individual well-being and couple relationships. Researchers in the study tracked 100 couples who were first-time parents and a comparison sample of couples who were not. The couples gave interviews, recorded domestic tasks and completed questionaires--at the second trimester of pregnancy, as well as 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after the baby was born. The research, based on adult attachment theory, gives us a comprehensive and contemporary picture of what it is like to be a parent today. Encompassing the perspectives of both women and men, Becoming Parents addresses such issues as the changing nature of couples' relationships, the division of domestic labor, changes in new parents' attachment networks and postnatal depression. Judith A. Feeney is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Queensland. Lydia Hohaus is Lecturer in Lifespan Development at Griffith University. Richard P. Alexander is a Ph.D. research candidate at the University of Queensland. All of them live in Brisbane, Australia.

This edited volume draws together a wide range of new and exciting developments in the study of marital interaction. A significant feature of the book is its focus, not only on conflict and negative interactions, but also on the processes by which couples maintain happy and constructive relationships. The chapters review and integrate the extensive literature in this area, as well as presenting important new research findings. The contributors come from the disciplines of communication, social psychology and clinical psychology, and have national and international reputations for their work in this area. The findings reflect the latest developments in theory and methodology, and have important implications for those working to strengthen and repair marital relationships.

This book draws together a wide range of new developments in the study of marital interaction, or how couples communicate with one another in positive and negative situations. Many of the chapters contain new information and insights into how couples can best be helped to deal with issues. This study is of importance to those who study couple interaction, or work with couples to help resolve differences and improve communication.

What happens to couples when they become parents? Becoming Parents presents a landmark study of the transition to parenthood and its effects on individual well-being and couple relationships. Researchers in the study tracked 100 couples who were first-time parents and a comparison sample of couples who were not. The couples gave interviews, recorded domestic tasks and completed questionaires--at the second trimester of pregnancy, as well as 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after the baby was born. The research, based on adult attachment theory, gives us a comprehensive and contemporary picture of what it is like to be a parent today. Encompassing the perspectives of both women and men, Becoming Parents addresses such issues as the changing nature of couples' relationships, the division of domestic labor, changes in new parents' attachment networks and postnatal depression. Judith A. Feeney is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Queensland. Lydia Hohaus is Lecturer in Lifespan Development at Griffith University. Richard P. Alexander is a Ph.D. research candidate at the University of Queensland. All of them live in Brisbane, Australia.

Attachment theory is one of the most popular theoretical perspectives currently influencing research in close relationships. Extremely interesting and well written, Adult Attachment draws together the diverse strands of attachment research as it exists today into a coherent account. Authors Judith Feeney and Patricia Noller give particular emphasis to dating and marital relationships and how an individual's early social experiences affect intimacy later in life. Given that the quality of intimate relationships is a key determinant of subjective well-being, concepts explored by the authors are clearly of both theoretical and practical importance. This volume presents theory and empirical work on attachment as well as on issues of conceptualization and measurement, on the relationship between attachment and working models, and on the links between attachment and other central life tasks such as work and faith. The encompassing and readable Adult Attachment is an excellent supplementary text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in psychology, sociology, communication, family studies, and social work and for professors, practitioners, and researchers in these and related fields.