Study examined attitudes of adolescents toward aspects of marriage and family life. The majority expressed negative attitudes toward divorce and viewed marriage as a lifelong commitment. While about one third expressed positive attitudes toward premarital sex, a majority indicated they would engage or had engaged in sex. The adolescents…

Discusses why families are so overscheduled, explaining that when children spend time by themselves doing nothing in particular, they are relaxing and learning how to be alone and enjoy their own company. When children do not have time to relax, there can be damaging stress-related consequences. Suggestions to help families spend more time…

When their first child was 5, 30 couples discussed an unresolved issue in their marital relationship that involved one of their parents, and how they would resolve this issue. Five intergenerational themes were identified in these disagreements: balancing nuclear vs. extended family time, changing rules and roles, pleasing parents vs. spouse,…

Findings from 130 male executives and their spouses provided strong support for construct validity and internal consistency of global measure of work spillover. Data did not support hypothesis that work stress spills over into some role contexts more than others. Identified at least 3 distinct processes by which work can spill over and affect…

Examined relationships between economic distress and family satisfaction and effects of social integration on these relationships among 1,561 married adults. Results indicated that income components of economic distress were related to family satisfaction while employment components were not. Economic distress was negatively related to social…

Reviews literature and resources available to family life educators to enhance relationships between grandparents and grandchildren and to strengthen extended family network. Discusses symbolic, indirect, and direct influences of grandparents and the effect on children of grandparental influence. (Author/CM)

Notes that many children who experience abuse, family disruption, or poverty reach adulthood with a strong commitment to family life. Questions whether changes in American families are indicators of pathology, deterioration, and instability; and asks how dysfunctional families transmit commitment to the concept of family to succeeding generations.…

Reviews Jessie Bernard's writings on women, work, and family. Explores the dilemmas of caring, the feminization of work, work and family roles over the life course, and the two worlds of women and men. Suggests implications for future research on women's work and family roles. (BH)

Discusses revival of ideas on the family experienced in France after World War II. Describes increase in fertility, marriage, and divorce rates since that time, and the reversal of these trends beginning in 1965. The state attitude concerning families and family policy is traced from the end of World War II to the present. (NB)

Discusses demographic changes which have altered the prevalence, timing, and sequencing of family transitions. Focuses on patterns of family deaths, grandparenthood, divorce, and remarriage. Suggests that researchers and practitioners view families as complex webs of lives and relationships. (Author/NB)

Public policy initiatives should focus on preventive measures such as premarriage education to assist people in developing healthy family life. Outcomes of an Australian program support the efficacy of such preparation rather than after-the-fact coping with crisis. (SK)

Examines Heidegger's two forms of caring as a framework for looking critically at the understanding of caring. Explores the meaning of caring from the perspective of students and a family studies teacher in the everyday life of the classroom. (Author/JOW)

Sees recent social and economic changes contributing to pessimistic assessments of U.S. children and families. Focusing analysis on pace of children's development, on families' use of self-care arrangements, and on work-family relations, demonstrates that pessimistic views are often inaccurate or exaggerated. Concludes by indicating that…

Extended concept of hardiness to address the family as the unit of analysis. Assessed 58 families in relation to family life events, adult hardiness, and illness occurrence. Results indicated that family life events and illness occurrence were positively correlated. Findings support stress-moderating effect of hardiness, particularly in relation…

Used data from National Survey of Families and Households to investigate effects of individual characteristics, parental background, and childhood living arrangements on adults' attitudes toward marriage, divorce, and nonmarital childbearing. Strongest predictors were age, sex, and marital status, with older persons, men, and married persons…