Examines the benefits and challenges derived from the dual-earner lifestyle for couples who successfully balance family and work. Many therapists harbor negative and stereotypical assumptions of the quality of dual-earner family life, but the findings of this study are helpful in providing a more balanced, informed view of the possibilities of…

Discusses ways early childhood programs can support all children and families, especially multiracial and multiethnic children and their families. Asserts that early childhood professionals need to consult with interracial and interethnic families as well as seek advice and leadership from other early childhood professionals involved in these…

Current Population Survey data on flextime use of married full-time workers (7,837 women, 10,846 men)and a survey of 146 married employees using various alternative arrangements indicate that personal, family, and work characteristics significantly influence flextime use. Women were more likely to use it to reduce work-family conflicts, men to…

A study of home-based media workers found they were aware of discourses of freedom and innovation associated with teleworking, but they did not fit the reality of competing demands of domestic life and work. The research suggests that if home-based micro enterprises become more widespread, the results may be harsh for individuals and households as…

Focus group data from 26 nonmanagerial women indicated that they often adapted their career goals due to life circumstances. Family responsibilities, job security, and organizational support systems (e.g., job flexibility, tuition reimbursement, mentoring) influenced career success and satisfaction. (Contains 29 references.) (SK)

Data from the Workplace Employee Relations Survey and Labour Force Survey identified employees who have the option of working at home and those required to work at home. Opportunity to choose is associated with higher-skilled, higher-paying occupations. Those required to work at home or denied the option include some of the most disadvantaged…

Investigates the extent of multiple-role occupancy among midlife individuals in Britain, focusing on work and family commitments. The proportion of individuals in midlife who have multiple roles, in terms of paid work and family care, at any one point in time is low, but a much higher proportion of individuals have occupied multiple roles over…

The Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching (FIRST) was created in 1988 to encourage and reward innovative educational projects. The subsidiary Family/School Partnership program awards federal grants to local education agencies promoting a better balance between home and school education practices. This article lists grant…

Outlines how teachers can motivate students and narrow the gap between school and home by using students' anecdotes about their families for reading or writing activities. Notes that this exercise also helps bridge the gap between spoken and written language. (MM)

A holistic, community-based multiagency approach is needed to foster effective home-school liaison with ethnic minority parents. Adult educators should take a community development approach that identifies parenting needs and recognizes the implications of underachievement among young ethnic minority adults. (SK)

This review of 129 references identifies the following research issues: conceptualizations of work and family, learning and work-family connections, gender concerns and work-family interaction, designing and implementing work-family educational programs, community and informal networks, assessing program and learner outcomes, and public policy.…

The Talk to a Literacy Learner program seeks to strengthen parents' role in schools by offering advice on reading-writing interaction, developing community resource people, raising community expectations of literacy and education, and serving as a catalyst for community-based literacy initiatives. (SK)

Guidelines for using grandparents as school volunteers include the following: identify specific tasks and volunteer interests, provide inservice training, let volunteers choose assignments and schedules, and evaluate and give recognition. Grandparent education councils can provide leadership for their involvement in schools. (SK)

A survey of 16 adolescents, 11 mothers, and 11 fathers found remarkably similar economic value orientations, supporting consumer socialization theories. Inclusion of families as socializing agents and knowledge of adolescent development are recommended for consumer education. (SK)

A 3-year study of 1,000 adolescents and their parents found that student employment has significant effects on family relationships. It fosters separation and individuation, of which parents approve, and diminished family time did not affect the quality of relationships. Boys' work had more positive effects than did girls' work. (SK)