Examined Rodman's theory of resources in cultural context to understand decision-making patterns among spouses in intergenerationally linked Puerto Rican families in the United States. Data indicated husbands in the parent generation with higher socioeconomic achievements, reflecting socialization to modern values, had less power in decision…

Studied genetic and environmental origins of individual differences in adults' (N=386) ratings of their current family environment using Moos Family Environment Scales (FES). Found 25 percent of adults' FES scores due to genetic differences. Found environment in which they were reared had little effect on adults' ratings of their family…

Examines the influences of neighborhood and family contexts on the transition to first sex, using a community-based sample of adolescents (N=870) in Los Angeles. Results suggests that the risk of sex is not solely due to neighborhood socioeconomic status and race, but that the risk increases is with the social conditions (i.e., single-parent…

This study investigates the relative influences of parents, peers, and partners on the contraceptive use of college men and women. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by a nonprobability, purposive sample of 434 never-married, sexually active males and females between the ages of 17 and 22 years. (Author)

Compared childrearing practices used by Mexican-American parents of first-, second-, and third-generation adolescents. Findings from 317 parents revealed significant generational differences in childrearing styles. Parents of first- and second-generation adolescents reported more responsibility-oriented childrearing style, whereas parents of…

Examined the role of family and friends in accounting for alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use among young adolescents. Lack of parental affection, concern, involvement, and modeling appeared to be central factors in the family's influence. Friends' delinquency and use of drugs largely determined the influence of friendship. (Author/ABB)

Examines the influence of parents, peers, and partners on teenage women's contraceptive-seeking behavior and identifies sources of variation in the amount and direction of influence. (Author/ABB)

Analyzed data from a national probability sample of 15 through 19-year-old women to determine the influence of parents and peers on premarital sexual behavior, contraceptive use, and premarital pregnancy. Results show women with views resembling those of parents have low levels of premarital experience. (Author)

Used National Survey of Youth data to examine extent and cause of adolescent assaults on parents. Found adolescents most likely to assault parents had parent-assaulting friends; approved of delinquent and violent behavior; believed low probability of official sanction for parental assault; were weakly attached to parents; and were White.…

Tested a model linking structural and interpersonal family variables with self-concept variables of self-esteem and son/daughter identity salience (relative importance of being a son or daughter for defining one's self) for 655 high school students. Family support was found to have largest effects on self-concept variables (yielding positive…

An analysis of the association of six independent family variables with parent child attitude congruence indicated significant association of measures of family political climate with attitude congruence for all dyads except "mother/son" with "father/son" dyads showing the greatest association. Reasons for the apparent discrepancies were…

The content of the situation is more important in the choice of courses of action than the pressures of either parents or peers, and parent peer orientations have a systematic, but minimal influence, on choice. (Author)

Examines differentials in divorce rates in Canada. Provinces with higher population turnover are characterized by lower degrees of social integration and lower social costs attached to divorce, reflected in higher divorce rates. The hypothesis that divorce rates are higher where more economic opportunities are available for women is explored.…

As adoptions have increased, they have become less concentrated among women unable to bear children, although these women are still more likely to adopt than are fertile women. About 4 percent of American women have adopted a child by the time they are 45 years old. (Author)

Analyses of recent Census data reveal that factors most highly associated with poverty are female-headed families, large family size, minority group status, age, unemployment and underemployment, region of residence, poor physical and mental health, little education, lack of income from sources other than wages. (Author)