Several authorities have observed that a moderate degree of conformity by the young may be necessary for a society to function effectively. In order to examine the relationship between adolescents' perceptions of parental power and behavior and adolescent conformity, adolescents (N=368) in 184 families completed questionnaires concerning aspects…

The author uses a national sample of high school seniors and utilizes the school as the unit of analysis to study the effects of family background and school characteristics on political orientation. The results indicated parental education to be the most consistent predictor. (DE)

This paper discusses the importance of maternal and infant health for children's educational achievement. Education, health, and nutrition are so closely related that changes in one causes changes in the others. Improvement of maternal and preschooler health and nutrition is a precondition for improved educational achievement. Although parental…

A study was conducted to identify reasons why high school students elect not to enroll in a vocational curriculum. Data were collected via questionnaires sent to all 11th graders in 5 schools selected randomly in Southwestern Ohio (633 responses). Some of the findings of the study were the following: (1) 60 percent of the sample were enrolled in…

Due to similarities in symptomatology, childhood depression has often been misdiagnosed as conduct disorder. Differentiating between the two disorders would help to direct the appropriate interventions for each disorder. Children (N=48) between the ages of 6 and 13 years and their parents participated in a study designed to analyze variables which…

Can single-parenthood adversely affect children's school achievement? A recent study conducted in the secondary schools of a rural Washington State school district dramatically confirms that it does. Conducted in 1984 by the Eastern Washington University Department of Education, the research project surveyed a remarkably homogenous population of…

Based on the family systems approach to therapeutic intervention, the first part of this paper develops themes of adolescent development in family contexts. Specific attention is given to adolescents' relationships with their parents, their role in the family, the way in which they develop within this role, and the ways such development affects…

A reading program was developed to motivate 20 second grade children identified as capable, confident readers but who would not read on their own. An interest inventory, a free response interview, and direct observation revealed that the students were in literate school and home environments, but few chose to read independently. A 10-week…

Noting that little is known about how communication functions in alcoholic families, and about the effects of this alcoholic home environment on children of alcoholics, their communication patterns, and their relationships, this paper identifies strengths and weaknesses in existing literature on the alcoholic family and children of alcoholics. In…

Attitudes toward marriage among unmarried women are of interest because they may reflect the impact of changing sex roles. To survey two aspects of attitudes toward marriage, i.e., evaluations and behavioral intentions, 214 unmarried college women completed a questionnaire. Results showed that, in general, attitudes toward marriage were favorable.…

Research on family interaction patterns suggests that delinquent behaviors of children and adolescents may be related to, if not a direct function of, disordered interpersonal interaction within the family unit. Family interaction can be seen as a sequence of interlocking events occurring over time and consisting of the three basic characteristics…

This paper presents a discussion of the importance of voluntary childlessness as a contemporary social phenomenon. The negative attitudes associated with voluntary childlessness are discussed in a brief summary of recent literature. An exploration of the methodological limitations of existing research is included which emphasizes its usefulness…