Many theories either implicitly or explicitly assume that individuals readily move to places that improve their financial well-being. Other forces, however, offset these tendencies; for example, people often wish to remain close to family and friends. We introduce a methodology for determining how individuals weigh these countervailing forces, and…

We used multilevel covariance structure analysis to study the relationship between birth weight, family context and youth math and reading comprehension growth from approximately ages 5 through 14 within and between families. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Child Sample, we examined the relationship between birth weight…

We employ newly developed methods to disentangle age, period and cohort effects on non-marital fertility ratios from 1972 through 2002 for black and white women ages 20-44 in the United States. We focus on three cohort factors: family structure, school enrollment and the sex ratio. For both blacks and whites, cohorts with less traditional family…

The authors explore the contributions of social and genetic influences to religious attitudes and practices in a population-based sample of 11-18 year olds and their mothers who responded to a Religious Attitudes and Practices Inventory and Religious Rearing Practices Inventory respectively. Contrary to genetic studies examining adult religious…

American educational leaders and philosophers have long valued schooling for its role in preparing the nation's youth to be civically engaged citizens. Numerous studies have found a positive relationship between education and subsequent civic participation. However, little is known about possible variation in effects by selection into higher…

The tendency of members of many ethno-religious groups to marry within their group has been considered evidence for the persistent role of ascription in modern society. What is the role of the family of origin in this process? To answer this question, we study the marriage choices of Jews in the Netherlands, using a unique dataset and a novel…

Finds somewhat greater upward mobility and less father to son occupational inheritance among 1962 and 1973 cohorts of 25- to 34-year-old White U.S. men than among late nineteenth-century men, but the differences are smaller when comparisons are restricted to the nonfarm sector. Contains 39 references. (SV)

Examines a Mexican "culture of migration," in which U.S. migration becomes an expectation for young people. Among approximately 7,000 secondary students surveyed in Zacatecas (Mexico), adolescents from families involved in U.S. migration were more likely to aspire to live and work in the United States, increasing the likelihood they…

Analysis of longitudinal and current survey data on 545 married/cohabiting couples found highest marital homophily for ethnicity, fertility expectations, religion, educational attainment, marital satisfaction, and illicit drug use. On drug use, data best supported a model of marital selection and assortative mating but was inconclusive concerning…

Data from the Youth-Parent Socialization Panel Study were used to examine changes in social participation as people move from high school to parenthood. Participation in self-oriented (occupational and professional) organizations was related to socioeconomic status (education, occupation, and income), while community-oriented participation was…

Examines longitudinal data on college enrollment, marriage, and parenthood among 9,608 White high school graduates. Concludes that marriage and parenthood exert negative effects on the higher education of both men and women, with marriage being particularly detrimental to women's education. Contains 26 references. (SV)

Among 1,243 adults nationwide, individuals who experienced parental divorce as children scored lower than those from happily intact families of origin on measures of psychological, social, and marital well-being. Multiple parental divorces and divorces involving deterioration of parent-child relations appeared particularly problematic. Contains 39…

LISREL analysis of Toronto (Canada) survey data suggests that the search for adolescent role exits such as early marriage or parenthood was most strongly related to family strains and absence of parental controls, followed by female gender plus maternal unemployment, feelings of depression, father's socioeconomic status, identification with…

Analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health found that first-generation immigrant adolescents experienced less depression and greater well-being than native-born peers of similar demographic and family background. Second-generation immigrants did not differ from native-born youth. Cultural and family protective…

In analyses controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), parental divorce during adolescence produced few negative effects on adult adjustment, and father's death during adolescence produced none. However, SES during adolescence and current SES affected nearly all aspects of adult adjustment, as did mother's and own educational attainment. Contains…