This work addresses the social phenomenon of stepfamilies, acknowledging their growing numbers and examining the social factors that lead to their prevalence. It queries how stepchildren are raised; how such families function in later life; and how public policy should adapt to these families.

Documenting the third in a series of annual symposia on family issues, this text explores the experiences of immigrant families, particularly as they relate to assimilation and adaptation processes. It includes an examination of immigrant families and public policy.

Recently, the roles of fathers and husbands in families have been recognized as important issues. They appear in legislation aimed at deadbeat dads, social movements including the Million Man March and Promise Keepers, in the development of advocacy groups, and in think tanks. Therefore, contemporary research on men in family relationships has very mixed results. Some studies show that fathers have small effects on child development and in preventing antisocial behavior, whereas others suggest no effects. Other research claims that the primary importance of men in families is in their role as...

In this volume, experts from several social science disciplines explore the condition under which communities affect children's development and family functioning.

Does It Take a Village? focuses on the mechanisms that link community characteristics to the functioning of the families and individuals within them--community norms, economic opportunities, reference groups for assessing relative deprivation, and social support networks. Contributors underscore those features of communities that represent risk factors for children, adolescents, and their families, as well as those characteristics that underlie resilience and thus undergird individual and family functioning.
As a society we have heavy investments both in research and in programs...

This volume is based on the presentations and discussions of a national symposium on "Couples in Conflict" that focused on family issues. A common thread throughout is that constructive conflict and negotiation are beneficial for relationships. Together, the chapters provide a foundation for thinking about creative ways in which our society can work to prevent or minimize destructive couple conflict and to enhance couples' abilities to constructively handle their differences.
Divided into four parts, this book:
*addresses the societal and bioevolutionary underpinnings of...

Based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposia, Just Living Together represents a systematic effort to focus on cohabitation. The book is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of cohabitation. Part one addresses the big picture question, What are the historical and cross cultural foundations of cohabitation?. Part two focuses specifically on North America and asks, What is the role of cohabitation in contemporary North American family structure?. Part three turns the focus to the question, What is the long- and short-term impact of cohabitation on...

Any parent who has raised more than one child is likely to be keenly aware of subtle or even striking differences among their offspring. Although siblings raised together in the same family often differ markedly all too often family researchers have ignored individual differences in children. The central premise of this volume is that children bring personal qualities to their relationships with other family members that help shape family interaction, relationships and even processes that family researchers have called parenting.

In this volume, Romance and Sex in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Risks and Opportunities, top scholars in the field of family research examine the nature and origin of adolescents' contemporary patterns of sexual and romantic relationships, spanning such diverse topics as the evolutionary roots of these behaviors, as well as policies and programs that represent best practices for addressing these issues in schools and communities. The text offers interdisciplinary expertise from scholars of psychology, social work, sociology, demography, economics, human development and family...