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The article presents news about the Australian Institute of Family Studies. The International Social Security Association's conference, "Social Security in the Global Village," held in Helsinki, Finland, in September 2000, covered a wide array of research topics, including issues to do with the social protection of families. The Institute presented a paper at this conference on the topic 'Social capital, social cohesion and social security' which was well received. A conference was held in Melbourne in November 2000 on 'Welfare Reform,' hosted by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research and the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services. Welfare reform was also a key theme for discussion at the Australian Council of Social Service National Congress in Canberra in November. There was vigorous discussion at both of these conferences on the advantages and disadvantages of current proposals for welfare reform, as well as the implications for administration. At both conferences a number of keynote presenters emphasized the importance of history. Social protection and poverty are important areas of research that need to be considered in the context of social protection, particularly incentive issues and their impact on families.

Martin Buber is well-known for his seminal book I and Thou and his philosophy of dialogue. Although he is often characterized as an existentialist, Buber referred to himself as a philosophical anthropologist, given his study of the wholeness and uniqueness of human being. Buber viewed human existence as grounded in relationships. However, in spite of his view of human being as fundamentally relational, his ideas have received relatively little attention in family theory and research. As part of the special issue on qualitative family scholarship and innovative theories in the interpretive tradition, this article first examines the intersection of Buber's philosophy with the interpretive tradition in social science research. It then presents an overview of Buber's relational constructs I-It and I-Thou and his philosophy of dialogue. Finally, the implications of Buber's ideas for the process of qualitative family research, particularly qualitative interviewing, are discussed, followed by a presentation of several potential qualitative studies that draw on Buber's theoretical framework of dialogue and way of being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases are among the most significant health problems in the United States today, with their major risk factor, hypertension, disproportionately affecting African Americans (AAs). Although GWAS have identified dozens of common variants associated with blood pressure (BP) and hypertension in European Americans, these variants collectively explain <2.5% of BP variance, and most of the genetic variants remain yet to be identified. Here, we report the results from rare-variant analysis of systolic BP using 94,595 rare and low-frequency variants (minor allele frequency, MAF, <5%) from the Illumina exome array genotyped in 2,045 HyperGEN AAs. In addition to single-variant analysis, 4 gene-level association tests were used for analysis: burden and family-based SKAT tests using MAF cutoffs of 1 and 5%. The gene-based methods often provided lower p values than the single-variant approach. Some consistency was observed across these 4 gene-based analysis options. While neither the gene-based analyses nor the single-variant analysis produced genome-wide significant results, the top signals, which had supporting evidence from multiple gene-based methods, were of borderline significance. Though additional molecular validations are required, 6 of the 16 most promising genes are biologically plausible with physiological connections to BP regulation. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents information on features of Web sites of the Australian Institute of Family Studies on the family. The Institute's Annual Report 1998-99 and a number of new Institute papers can now be accessed from the Publications page at: www.aifs.org.au/institute/pubs/pubsmenu.html. The Institute has recently established two email discussion forums to support discussion and networking in the fields of child abuse prevention and marriage and relationship education, and an Institute announcements list. Childprotect aims to promote the exchange of information and ideas between Australasian and other professionals working in the field of child abuse prevention and child protection, including child protection workers, other health and welfare service providers, people working in the criminal justice system, in education and training or in policy and service planning, researchers and information providers. Marriage and Relationship Education aims to establish a network of marriage and relationship education researchers and practitioners, and to provide a forum for discussion of issues related to the research, practice and further development of marriage and relationship education in Australia. Aifs-alert has been set up as a means of keeping people up to date with Institute activities and new developments on the Web site.

This article presents reference material relating to families across the life course represent an important component of the information available on the Australian Family & Society Abstracts database at the Australian Institute of Family Studies. All of these references are available on interlibrary loan from the Institute's Family Information Centre, with a few of them being available online. The article "Family Relationships Education Services," outlines family relationships education services which offers preventive activities focusing on providing information and skills to foster positive and stable relationships. The services aim to enhance the achievement of sustained family relationships through increased self awareness and understanding of relationships and processes, the capacity to apply them,and an awareness of community resources and support groups. The research paper "Towards Understanding the Reasons for Divorce," examines the reasons for divorce in relation to selected demographic and socio-economic factors, who initiated separation, whether assistance was sought during the marriage, whether the couple prepared for their final separation, aspects of post-divorce adjustment and reflections of regret.

The article comments on demographer K. Yamaguchi's work. In many societies some couples value sons more than daughters and so reproduce in accordance with male-preferring stopping rules. It is important for demographers to try to quantify these rules (in order, inter alia, to construct population projections). Yamaguchi (1989) showed that if couples reproduce in accordance with such male-preferring stopping rules, then the expected mean number of siblings differs for boys and girls. (This differential is called the "sib differential.") Moreover, Yamaguchi showed that this differential itself varies according to the extent to which there is Lexian variation between couples in the probability of producing a male infant. The author suggests that the empirical basis for estimates of the Lexian variation between human couples is less secure than Yamaguchi's presentation implies.

An introduction is presented which discusses the issue's focus on strategies for advancing the field of family science.

The article presents comments from professors from U.S. universities such as Stephen M. Gavazzi, Stephan M. Wilson, and Anisa Zvonkovic about the articles on family science found within the July 2014 issue. Topics include a history of the family science field of study, the correlation between family science and family therapy, the need for an identity and terminology in the family science field, and the connections between study of work and personal life.

Inconsistent naming of academic departments has been a cause and symptom of an identity issue that has persisted in the family field for decades. Department name trends were examined across nearly four decades to consider whether the family field is beginning to converge on a common label. Results indicate that the problem persists - 103 different names existed among 217 academic units examined - but that convergence seems to be on two terms: family studies and family science. A survey of 752 faculty members in those academic units found that 78% believed the variation in department names within the family field was somewhat or very problematic. Discussion and implications center on key issues for understanding and addressing the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discipline of family science is entering a new phase, the evaluation and innovation stage. With shrinking academic budgets and threats of departmental dissolution or mergers, it is imperative for administrators of family science programs to be able to articulate the distinctiveness of the discipline, the worth of the unique skills and perspectives afforded by family science programs, the challenges affecting the field, and the solutions and resources necessary to propel family science to new levels of relevance and application. This article reviews the history of the development of the field of family science and then reports survey results from representatives of family science programs related to each of these matters. Innovative strategies for advancing the field and family science programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the intent of cultivating the family studies field, we review and synthesize conceptual discussions of qualitative work published since 1985 in the field of family studies. We critically examine the extent to which conditions in the field offer richness and sustainability for qualitative scholarship. We classify discussions by 3 overarching patterns: (a) appreciating, (b) expanding, and (c) improving qualitative research. Using these patterns as a framework, we encourage scholars to spend less attention appreciating qualitative research and calling for expansion. We recommend instead more critical engagement, greater synthesis, and contemplation of fertile issues accompanying the vast (existing and potential) territory of qualitative research in family studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What happens when a qualitative/theoretical scholar of gender/sexuality and cultural studies and a quantitative behavioral scientist step outside the boundaries of our respective disciplines, risking disruptions to our normal procedures and cherished political and theoretical commitments? Our unlikely collaboration allowed each of us to explore and challenge the possibilities, limitations, and consequences of our approaches to the study of gender and finance and, ultimately, to make new knowledge. The occasion for this collaboration is the Arizona Pathways to Life Success (APLUS) study, a longitudinal study of a group of young adults to understand how financial practices develop and the factors that shape those practices. We begin by presenting our respective research agendas and our concerns about "engaging the opposition." We then narrate the sequence of our efforts: to talk and think together, generate analyses and interpretations, and then interrupt ourselves--only to begin again. Ultimately, despite (or perhaps because of) our divergent backgrounds, our final set of findings, which reveals the changeability of participation in gendered constellations of financial attitudes and behaviors over time, challenges dominant scientific and popular understandings of the relation of gender to financial behavior and attitudes, with implications across many domains of research, policy, and educational practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the life and scholarly work and contributions of law professor Marygold S. Melli to American family law. Topics discussed include her educational background, teaching career and services offered as a member of the American Bar Foundation, the Executive Council of the International Society of Family Law and the Study Group for the U.S. State Department on International Adoption. The impact of marriage on children in problematic families is also discussed.

Although healthy relationship initiatives are becoming more common, relatively little is known about the processes of these initiatives. This study uses a phenomenological qualitative approach to examine the experiences of Family and Consumer Science ( FCS) Extension faculty in the implementation of couple and relationship education in the Utah Healthy Relationship Initiative. Data were collected through quarterly report forms submitted by Extension faculty describing successes and challenges to their work. Successes in the project related to collaborative partnerships, attendance or participation, and positive outcomes for participants. Collaborative partnerships were instrumental in reaching more participants and finding cultural resources. The challenges included constraints for participants and limited faculty resources. The findings underscore the benefits of creating flexible, low-intensity, and low-cost activities that attract participants and reduce some of the barriers to participation, as well as partnering with community organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the process of political subjectivization in debate with assertive perspectives, family studies, and problems of childhood.

This study documents what pre-service family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers learned about diversity through observations in diverse FCS classrooms. Students reported that they experienced a change in their comfort level with diverse settings. Student feedback was used to modify FCS teacher education curriculum in subsequent semesters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Early Childhood Education Research Journal is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Insufficient knowledge of food allergy and anaphylaxis has been identified by caregivers as an important barrier to coping, and a potential cause of fear and anxiety, particularly for those with children newly diagnosed with food allergy. The purpose of the study was to better understand the experiences of caregivers of children with a first allergic reaction to food, and to identify any deficiencies in the information received at diagnosis. Methods: A mixed-methods study consisting of an online survey administered to the Anaphylaxis Canada online registry (a patient support group database of approximately 10,000 members), and a follow-up qualitative interview with a subset of survey participants. Analysis consisted of frequency analysis (quantitative and qualitative data) and descriptive statistics to calculate proportions and means with standard deviations. Qualitative analyses were guided by the constant comparative method of grounded theory methodology. Results: Of 293 survey respondents, 208 were eligible to complete the survey (first allergic reaction to food within 12 months of the study), and 184 respondents consented. Identified gaps included education about food allergy, anaphylaxis management, for example, how to use epinephrine auto- injectors, and coping strategies for fear and anxiety. The qualitative follow-up study supported these findings, yielding 3 major themes: 1) lack of provision of information following the episode on the recognition and management of food allergy related allergic reactions, 2) prolonged wait times for an allergist, and 3) significant family anxiety. Conclusions: The online survey highlighted multiple deficiencies at diagnosis, findings which were supported by the follow up qualitative study. Results will inform the development of educational strategies for patients newly diagnosed with food allergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand and fully incorporate low-income, multiproblem families into treatment, clinicians need a comprehensive yet efficient assessment tool that addresses both family resources and stressors and privileges the family's voice. The Family Inventory of Resources and Stressors (FIRST) is a broad-based family assessment measure developed to address this need. This study, using clinical, nonclinical, and at-risk populations, examined the factor structure and utility of the FIRST as well as the role of defensive answering. Results indicate that the FIRST has an adequate factor structure and that families find the measure useful and worthwhile. Implications for professionals working with low-income, multiproblem families are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Systemically trained counselors have a distinctive set of skills that make them well suited to prepare teachers to work with students’ families. In this article, we discuss our experiences as family counselors in developing and teaching a required course in family–school collaboration to elementary teachers in training. We first describe the teacher dispositions that need to be developed to support such family–school relationships and the skills possessed by family systems counselors for promoting these dispositions. We then describe the course goals, instructional methods, and course activities, and report the impact of this course experience on our students and ourselves. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The goal of the Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy (FDC) Research Project, initiated in 1993, has been to identify and characterize FDC genetic cause. All participating individuals have been consented for the return of genetic results, an important but challenging undertaking. Since the inception of the Project we have enrolled 606 probands, and 269 of these had 1670 family members also enrolled. Each subject was evaluated for idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) and pedigrees were categorized as familial or sporadic. The coding regions of 14 genes were resequenced in 311 to 324 probands in five studies. Ninety-two probands were found to carry nonsynonymous rare variants absent in controls, and with Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment of 1988 (CLIA) compliant protocols, relevant genetic results were returned to these probands and their consented relatives by study genetic counselors and physicians in 353 letters. In 10 of the 51 families that received results >1 year ago, at least 23 individuals underwent CLIA confirmation testing for their family's rare variant. Return of genetic results has been successfully undertaken in the FDC Research Project. This report describes the methods utilized in the process of returning research results. We use this information as a springboard for providing guidance to other genetic research groups and proposing future directions in this arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male preponderance in autistic behavioral impairment has been explained in terms of a hypothetical protective effect of female sex, yet little research has tested this hypothesis empirically. If females are protected, they should require greater etiologic load to manifest the same degree of impairment as males. The objective of this analysis was to examine whether greater familial etiologic load was associated with quantitative autistic impairments in females compared with males. Subjects included 3,842 dizygotic twin pairs from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) and 6,040 dizygotic twin pairs from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study of Sweden (CATSS). In both samples, we compared sibling autistic traits between female and male probands, who were identified as children scoring in the top 90th and 95th percentiles of the population autistic trait distributions. In both TEDS and CATSS, siblings of female probands above the 90th percentile had significantly more autistic impairments than the siblings of male probands above the 90th percentile. The siblings of female probands above the 90th percentile also had greater categorical recurrence risk in both TEDS and CATSS. Results were similar in probands above the 95th percentile. This finding, replicated across two nationally-representative samples, suggests that female sex protects girls from autistic impairments and that girls may require greater familial etiologic load to manifest the phenotype. It provides empirical support for the hypothesis of a female protective effect against autistic behavior and can be used to inform and interpret future gene finding efforts in autism spectrum disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that the scope and depth of understanding in the field of family studies would be advanced if some theoretical questioning were at a higher level of abstraction. A way to achieve this is to shift some of the focus of questioning from individuals to social relationships. The potential benefits of 3 concepts drawn from the exact sciences-attractors, nonlinearity, and chaos-are discussed in turn to demonstrate that their metaphorical use can lead to new questions about process that may advance theoretical understanding of the institutions of the family and marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study which explored the impact of an interdisciplinary service-learning project on secondary family and consumer sciences (FCS) students in regards to career choice. Researchers utilized a university educational methods course to expose undergraduate students to recruitment strategies. It revealed the change in knowledge and attitudes of high school students.

The article offers news briefs related to family health in Australia. The Centre for Child and Family Development will offer a four-unit course and advance studies in child and family development in April 2008 in Melbourne. The 29th Australian Family Therapy Conference will be held on October 1-3, 2008 in Brisbane. Mark Galliker, Madeleine Grivel and Margot Klein joined the debate on co-dependency, comparing the wives of men with and without alcohol problems.

Assessing familial aggregation of a disease or its underlying quantitative traits is often undertaken as the first step in the investigation of possible genetic causes. When some major confounding variables are known and difficult to be quantified, the matched case–control family design provides an opportunity to eliminate biased results. In such a design, cases and matched controls are ascertained first, with subsequent recruitment of other members in their families. For the study of complex diseases, many continuously distributed quantitative traits or biomedical evaluations are of primary clinical and health significance, and distributions of these continuous outcomes are frequently skewed or non-normal. A non-normal distributed outcome may lead some standard statistical methods to suffer from loss of substantial power. To deal with the problem, in this study, we thus propose a rank-based test for detecting familial aggregation of a quantitative trait with the use of a within-cluster resampling process. According to our simulation studies, the proposed test expresses qualified and robust power performance. Specifically, the proposed test is slightly less powerful than the generalized estimating equations approach if the trait is normally distributed, and it is apparently more powerful if the trait distribution is essentially skewed or heavy-tailed. A user-friendly R-script and an executable file to perform the proposed test are available online to allow its implementation on ordinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article addresses the ways that working with archived classic family and communities studies from the 1960s can throw a different light on past and present research conventions around acceptable research practice. We consider the constitution of ‘good’ methodological conduct through looking at the nature of data and acknowledgement of who generates it, culminating in a focus on the implications of acceptable and unacceptable researcher accounts. Past conventions raise questions about the merging of primary data and context alongside which is active in the research field, while present understandings of ‘good’ ethical practice become a suspect narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report the results of a survey that accessed the perceptions of family studies and family therapy international master's and doctoral students across the United States. Our goals included giving collective voice to the experience of international students and gathering their suggestions for improving programs. Themes that emerged from responses to open- and closed-ended questions included feeling (mis)understood and (de)valued; forming personal connections and experiencing marginalization; the importance of including international perspectives in curricula; considering the relevance/transferability of knowledge; and attending to barriers to learning. Based on the results, we share suggestions for improving family studies and family therapy graduate programs relative to program planning, curricula revision, teaching strategies, and faculty development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Community, Work & Family is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This phenomenological study examines Mexican immigrant parents' experiences of helping their children navigate and succeed in school and their perceptions regarding differences between the U.S. and Mexican educational systems. Findings highlight parents' challenges in helping their children succeed in a new and unfamiliar school system and the often serious implications for the success of their children. Challenges identified include language barriers, difficulties in understanding and dealing with unfamiliar rules, requirements and expectations for children, and feelings of ineptness in unfamiliar territory. Findings also highlight the importance of cultural resources in response to challenges. Educational and programming implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between children's perception of dissimilarity in parenting styles, and internalizing and externalizing problems in children. Children from the general population ( n = 658) reported on the level of emotional warmth, rejection, and overprotection of both parents by filling out the child version of the Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (EMBU-C) and mothers completed the child behavior checklist (CBCL). Intraclass correlations were computed as measures of dissimilarity between parenting styles of mothers and fathers. Children's perceived dissimilarity in parental emotional warmth is associated with internalizing and externalizing problems (β = 0.092, p < 0.05; β = 0.091, p < 0.05). Perceived dissimilarity between parents' overprotection is associated with externalizing problems (β = 0.097, p < 0.05). Perceived dissimilarity between parenting styles is associated with externalizing and internalizing problems, over and above the effects of the level of the parenting styles. The results highlight the negative consequences of perceived dissimilarity between parents. To conclude, children have more internalizing and externalizing problems when they perceive their parents as more dissimilar in parenting styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The environment can moderate the effect of genes - a phenomenon called gene-environment (GxE) interaction. Several studies have found that socioeconomic status (SES) modifies the heritability of children's intelligence. Among low-SES families, genetic factors have been reported to explain less of the variance in intelligence; the reverse is found for high-SES families. The evidence however is inconsistent. Other studies have reported an effect in the opposite direction (higher heritability in lower SES), or no moderation of the genetic effect on intelligence. Methods: Using 8716 twin pairs from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), we attempted to replicate the reported moderating effect of SES on children's intelligence at ages 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14: i.e., lower heritability in lower-SES families. We used a twin model that allowed for a main effect of SES on intelligence, as well as a moderating effect of SES on the genetic and environmental components of intelligence. Results: We found greater variance in intelligence in low-SES families, but minimal evidence of GxE interaction across the eight ages. A power calculation indicated that a sample size of about 5000 twin pairs is required to detect moderation of the genetic component of intelligence as small as 0.25, with about 80% power - a difference of 11% to 53% in heritability, in low- (22 standard deviations, SD) and high-SES (+2 SD) families. With samples at each age of about this size, the present study found no moderation of the genetic effect on intelligence. However, we found the greater variance in low-SES families is due to moderation of the environmental effect - an environment-environment interaction. Conclusions: In a UK-representative sample, the genetic effect on intelligence is similar in low- and high-SES families. Children's shared experiences appear to explain the greater variation in intelligence in lower SES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by vasculopathy, immune cell activation, and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Over the past few years, a role for genetics in the susceptibility for SSc has been established. This review aims to provide an update on the progress made in the past year or so within the field of SSc genetics research. This year has been of particular interest due to the publication of a large genome-wide association study, further investigations into gene-gene interactions, and the tendency to validate genetic results in functional models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings: The present study evaluated the effects of a Family Literacy program on the early English reading development of speakers of English as a first language (EL1s) and English language learners (ELLs). The study included a linguistically and culturally diverse sample of 132 kindergarten children and their parents. Families in the experimental group participated in a 9-week intervention program that was designed to promote early literacy in the home, whereas those in the control group did not receive the intervention. Both the experimental and control groups included EL1 and ELL children. Dependent variables included children's gains in alphabet knowledge, conventions of print, and meaning. Results indicated that ELL children in the experimental group made greater gains in their knowledge of the alphabet and their ability to infer meaning from print than EL1 children in the experimental group and both ELL and EL1 controls. There were no language group differences in children's gains in conventions of print. Practice or Policy: The results suggest that Family Literacy programs are associated with differential effects on the English reading development of EL1 and ELL children. Educational implications related to the development and implementation of effective Family Literacy programs for diverse communities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought to identify cognitive phenotypes for family/genetic studies of successful cognitive aging (SCA; maintaining intact cognitive functioning while living to late old age). We administered a battery of neuropsychological tests to nondemented nonagenarians (n = 65; mean age = 93.4 ± 3.0) and their offspring (n = 188; mean age = 66.4 ± 5.0) from the Central Valley of Costa Rica. After covarying for age, gender, and years of education, as necessary, heritability was calculated for cognitive functions at three pre-defined levels of complexity: specific neuropsychological functions (e.g., delayed recall, sequencing), three higher level cognitive domains (memory, executive functions, attention), and an overall neuropsychological summary. The highest heritability was for delayed recall (h2 = 0.74, se = 0.14, p < 0.0001) but significant heritabilities involving memory were also observed for immediate recall (h2 = 0.50), memory as a cognitive domain (h2 = 0.53), and the overall neuropsychological summary (h2 = 0.42). Heritabilities for sequencing (h2 = 0.42), fluency (h2 = 0.39), abstraction (h2 = 0.36), and the executive functions cognitive domain (h2 = 0.35) were also significant. In contrast, the attention domain and memory recognition were not significantly heritable in these families. Among the heritable specific cognitive functions, a strong pleiotropic effect (i.e., evidence that these may be influenced by the same gene or set of genes) for delayed and immediate recall was identified (bivariate statistic = 0.934, p < 0.0001) and more modest but significant effects were found for four additional bivariate relationships. The results support the heritability of good cognitive function in old age and the utilization of several levels of phenotypes, and they suggest that several measures involving memory may be especially useful for family/genetic studies of SCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe autoimmune connective tissue disease. Over the years, evidence for a genetic background of SSc susceptibility has clearly accumulated. This article aims to provide an extensive overview of genetics in SSc research. We discuss indicators for a genetic component present in SSc, family studies, chromosomal aberrances, the involvement of the HLA region and multiple candidate genes and, finally, genome-wide association studies. INSET: Key issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effect of family background on the returns to schooling in Korea. In doing so, sample selection bias is controlled, as the probability of being employed is affected by the schooling of family members. The results of this study are different from previous studies, which did not consider sample selection bias. While the effect of family background on the returns to schooling was obvious in previous studies, it is weakened with the control of sample selection bias. This phenomenon is particularly strong for the wife. Moreover, controlling sample selection bias increases the downward bias due to measurement error. Thus it is concluded from these findings that sample selection bias should be controlled to accurately estimate the effect of family background on the returns to schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing numbers of Korean sojourner families are moving to an English-speaking country on a short-term basis in the hope of improving educational and linguistic outcomes for their children. This study reports the findings of an ethnographic case study of 10 families in southern England. The motivation for the move to the UK is explored, paying particular attention to the influence of parents' dissatisfaction with the education system in Korea and the role of English as an international language. Interviews and focus group discussions with parents, children and their teachers as well as classroom observation are used to highlight the disjunction between the expectations and the actual experiences of Korean sojourners. Key areas of dissonance were found to include classroom behaviour and skills and strategies for learning. Such information is critical for both families - ideally before they make the move to the new country - and teachers in the receiving countries. There are also clear implications for policymakers in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundEtiological theory and prior research with small or selected samples suggest that interpersonal violence clusters in families. However, the strength and pattern of this aggregation remains mostly unknown.MethodWe investigated all convictions for violent crime in Sweden 1973–2004 among more than 12.5 million individuals in the nationwide Multi-Generation Register, and compared rates of violent convictions among relatives of violent individuals with relatives of matched, non-violent controls, using a nested case–control design.ResultsWe found strong familial aggregation of interpersonal violence among first-degree relatives [e.g. odds ratio (OR)sibling 4.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.2–4.3], lower for more distant relatives (e.g. ORcousin 1.9, 95% CI 1.9–1.9). Risk patterns across biological and adoptive relations provided evidence for both genetic and environmental influences on the development of violent behavior. Familial risks were stronger among women, in higher socio-economic strata, and for early onset interpersonal violence. There were crime-specific effects (e.g. ORsibling for arson 22.4, 95% CI 12.2–41.2), suggesting both general and subtype-specific familial risk factors for violent behavior.ConclusionsThe observed familiality should be accounted for in criminological research, applied violence risk assessment, and prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

According to the 'reproductive polarization' hypothesis, family-policy regimes unfavourable to the combination of employment with motherhood generate greater socio-economic differentials in fertility than other regimes. This hypothesis has been tested mainly for 'liberal' Anglo-American regimes. To investigate the effects elsewhere, we compared education differentials in age at first birth among native-born women of 1950s and 1960s birth cohorts in seven countries representing three regime types. Women with low educational attainment have continued to have first births early, not only in Britain and the USA but also in Greece, Italy, and Spain. Women at all other levels of education have experienced a shift towards later first births, a shift that has been largest in Southern Europe. Unlike the educationally heterogeneous changes in age pattern at first birth seen under the Southern European and Anglo-American family-policy regimes, the changes across birth cohorts in the study's two 'universalistic' countries, Norway and France, have been educationally homogeneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lataster T, Collip D, Lardinois M, van Os J, Myin-Germeys I. Evidence for a familial correlation between increased reactivity to stress and positive psychotic symptoms. Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that stress-reactivity may represent an intermediary phenotype underlying positive psychotic symptoms. It was examined whether: (i) stress-reactivity clusters within families of psychotic patients and (ii) stress-reactivity in relatives cosegregates with positive symptoms in patients. Method: The sample consisted of 40 patients and 47 siblings of these patients . The Experience Sampling Method (ESM - a structured diary technique) was used to measure stress-reactivity. Positive symptoms in patients were measured with the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History. Results: Within-trait, cross-sib associations showed a significant association between stress-reactivity in the patient and stress-reactivity in their siblings. Significant cross-trait, cross-sib associations were established showing a significant association between positive psychotic symptoms in the patient and stress-reactivity in the sibling. Conclusion: The findings show familial clustering of increased stress-reactivity, suggesting common aetiological influences, probably both genetic and environmental, underlying stress-reactivity in the siblings and patients. In addition, the results underscore the hypothesis that increased stress-reactivity is an unconfounded mechanism of risk underlying the positive symptoms of psychotic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal first cousins of an individual with a neural tube defect (NTD) are at increased risk for an NTD. It is not known if they are also at risk for other serious birth defects. We carried out an interview study of uncles and aunts and first cousins in Irish NTD families covering their pregnancy histories and the health of family members. Maternal first cousins were more likely than paternal first cousins to have a birth defect (9.4% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.02; adjusted odds ratio: 1.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 2.84). This study shows that two generations of distant relatives (uncles/aunts and first cousins) in NTD families have similar maternal excesses of NTDs and birth defects overall. Inheritance mechanisms favouring matrilineal transmission, currently unknown, may contribute to birth defect occurrence in these families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence is a serious issue deeply embedded in multiple contexts both internal and external making treatment and interventions difficult to implement. Although numerous models offer vital insight into aspects of intimate partner violence, in isolation they may be less effective in addressing the unique elements and complexity of the abusive situation. Therefore, in order to provide an integrated and effective method of treatment, a multi-leveled theoretical approach delineating the change process is needed. Boss’s contextual model of family stress provides a broad paradigm affording clarity and organization for assessment, intervention, and treatment. Each of the elements of the contextual model of family stress are presented and applied to a case study outlining one battered woman’s experience. Clinical implications addressing stressors, resources, perceptions, and contextual elements are discussed as well as treatment recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to examine developments in the area of family literacy over the last decade. Acknowledging the bifurcation that has occurred in the field of family literacy, as well as changing conceptions of literacy and of families, we review naturalistic studies of literacy embedded and enacted in communities and families across different sociocultural context and also what we see as the evolving nature of family literacy programs. We conclude with an acknowledgement of some of the ongoing concerns, issues, and tensions in the field and a call for sensitivity on the part of all of us involved in family literacy research and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertility preferences are revised in the light of changing life and reproductive circumstances. Over time, an individual's fertility preferences may fluctuate along a continuum. In this study, we describe typical patterns of change (or stability) in individual fertility preferences over a period of five years using a prospective panel study of women of reproductive age in six communities in southern Ghana. We investigate whether patterns of change are consistent with women's reproductive life circumstances by first comparing responses between successive interviews and then over multiple interviews using latent class analysis. We find that approximately 20 percent of the sample changed their fertility preference from one interview to the next. Women who had attained or exceeded their ideal family size show considerable stability in their desire to stop childbearing over multiple interviews. This desire does not waver even when they experience unwanted pregnancies. The attainment of ideal family size appears to be an important correlate of preference stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, Pub.L. 104-193 (PRWORA) was passed creating the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Since the passage of PRWORA, many families were able to leave the welfare rolls while those remaining on welfare were likely composed of families facing barriers to leaving, such as caring for children with disabilities. This project addresses the gaps in knowledge regarding low-income families caring for children with disabilities by conducting qualitative research investigating the resources used by these families to find and keep employment and child care. The study used a sample from a research project entitled 'Rural Families Speak' and examined the data of 26 families caring for children with disabilities. Analysis resulted in policy recommendations for increasing the efficacy of the programs designed to help these families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined media viewing by mothers with violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related media exposure of their preschool-age children. Mothers (N = 67) recruited from community pediatric clinics participated in a protocol involving a media-preference survey. Severity of maternal PTSD and dissociation were significantly associated with child exposure to violent media. Family poverty and maternal viewing behavior were also associated. Maternal viewing behavior mediated the effects specifically of maternal PTSD severity on child exposure. Clinicians should assess maternal and child media viewing practices in families with histories of violent trauma exposure and related psychopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Eric Strömgren was one of the pioneers of psychiatric genetics and family studies. There has now been an explosion of interest in this field and research progress, including linkage and association studies, whole genome genotyping, copy number variants and epigenetics is reviewed here. Method: An overview of this area of psychiatric research is presented and discussed based on the relevant literature aiming at giving a recent status of the progress. Results: Broadly speaking linkage and association are complementary approaches used to locate genes contributing to the genetic aetiology of psychopathology. Linkage can be detected over comparatively large distances, however power is problematic when searching for quantitative trait loci with small effect sizes. In contrast, association studies can detect small effects but only over very small distances. Therefore, while several genome-wide linkage studies in psychiatric disorders have been performed, the majority of association studies have investigated specific functional candidate genes. Conclusion: Due to very recent technological advancements, genome-wide association studies have now become possible and have identified some completely novel susceptibility loci. Other recent advances include the discovery of epigenetic phenomena and copy number variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]