Administered 50 needs statements to 134 minimally and mildly mentally disabled adolescent students to identify their family life education needs as a basis for curriculum development. Identified six clusters or groups of family life education needs: Basic Nutrition, Teenage Pregnancy, Sex Education, Developmental Tasks of Adolescents, Marriage and…

Introduces the articles in this special issue, all of which provide new theory and/or data on the intersection of gender stratification and economic variables with, and within, the family. Describes most of the articles as considering this "triple overlap" at both macro and micro levels. Outlines the articles selected. (KS)

Measured family stress, resources, parental coping, and family types in families who had a child with myelomeningocele. Determined the relationships between the family characteristics, the child's health status, and number of active health problems based on level of impairment. Demonstrated an increasing level of family system involvement…

Changing family and work roles are strong forces in the United States today. Knowing and acknowledging the significance of these changes are important goals in the field of home economics. This paper illustrates the impact on middle school curriculum. (JOW)

Examines family ritual, primarily around ceremonial occasions such as holidays and birthdays, tracing its transmission across three generations. Investigates the diversity, prevalence, and quantity of ritual in families and its change and continuity over historical time. Concludes that ritual provides a sense of continuity and is still important…

Counseling helped parents of a mobility-impaired 16-year-old recognize her need and struggle for independence, first indicated by her refusal to participate in the family vacation. Counseling helped both parents and the daughter to appreciate the other's viewpoints and to change the ways in which they dealt with family problems and communication.…

Examined interaction between job performance and specific work experiences on three indicators of personal and family well-being among 336 accountants. Perceptions of nonsupportive and inequitable work environment, role conflict, and extensive time commitment to work were each related to one or more indicators of well-being. (Author)

A national workfare scheme would subvert the foundations of capitalism and family life because the government is incompetent in the area of child care and because the prime role of a mother is raising children not earning money. Religious supports must undergird family values in order to diminish the moral anarchy present today. (VM)

Analyzed the housework time of 1,618 White couples. Found that the salience of work and family roles in the family life cycle affected the respective amounts of time that spouses allocated to household labor. Women spent less time in housework before and after childbearing stages, and husbands spent more time in domestic labor during periods of…

Examined influence of adolescent development, parent-adolescent relationship, and psychological characteristics of midlife adults on marital satisfaction during transitional period of the family life cycle between childhood and adolescence. Marital satisfaction during the family's adolescent years was negatively influenced by distance in the…

Reports the results of a caseworker survey exploring characteristics associated with the stability of foster care. The survey was developed from a national profile of the child likely to experience unstable foster care resulting in replacement. Findings and implications are discussed. (Author/DST)

Studied families with either maternal, paternal, or joint custody after divorce. Most children were not maladjusted, and adjustment was independent of custody type. It appears that joint custody at its best is superior to single-parent custody at its best. Cautions against a legal presumption for the joint award. (Author/ABB)

Africa and Third World countries do not include women in economic development projects. Women have benefited little from the minimum development done so far. These governments' lack of recognition and expansion of women's critical activities in producing and distributing food and cash crops will perpetuate underdevelopment and poverty. (PS)

Presents the results of a study that examined the effects of stepfamily life on children and adults and what information stepparents would like given to school personnel about their family life. (NKA)

Stress factors inherent in the institution of the farm family are examined. The current economic crisis is considered, with emphasis on those stressors that affect family relationships. Recommendations are proposed for the human service worker in rural communities. (Author/CH)