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Although there are bibliometric studies of journals in various fields, the field of family studies remains unexplored. Using the bibliometric metrics of the two-year and five-year Journal Impact Factors, the H-index, and the newly revised CiteScore, this paper examines the relationships among these metrics in a bibliometric study of forty-four representative family studies journals. The citation data were drawn from Journal Citation Reports, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The correlation analysis found strong positive relationships on the metrics. Despite the strong correlations, discrepancies in rank orders of the journals were found. A possible explanation of noticeable discrepancy in rankings was provided, and the implications of the study for stakeholders were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Family studies in Colombia, as a disciplinary field that applies theories, concepts and methodologies of other disciplines, shows, from its epistemological commitment, the recognition of the family as an object of scientific knowledge that appropriates and produces knowledge. The Objective of this paper is to analyze the methods of generation of knowledge in familiar intervention, psychological clinic and psychosocial intervention with a group of professionals of Science Social of Medellín y Manizales of Colombia. Materials and methods: Qualitative research, with focus on hermeneutics. It was used the semi-structured interview was used to produce information. The analysis it was made with the software Atlas-Ti, versión 6.0. Results: the dialog of the category familiar intervention, psychological clinic, psychosocial intervention and generation of knowledge permit disern an educational conviction and complement, for offer an accompanying from the families. For this is necessary recognice capacities and resources for confront the reality. Conclusion: familiar intervention, psychological clinic and psychosocial intervention as focus ethicalpolitical of the professional of Science Social must allow the development of critical in which the families are agents of its chance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multigenerational households are increasingly affecting both the individual and family as well as community organizations and social policies. Social work and other family studies students can profit from educational modalities that use adult learning applications through a systems life-course perspective, the whole family aging over time. Family simulation software—addressing multigenerational families, such as two or more adult generations living together—builds on a previous paper (Marriage & Family Review,Feb. 2015). Social class, among other demographic and environmental variables, is emphasized. Agent-based family social network simulation of multigenerational families can facilitate experiential learning. An automatically generated life events report, based on both factual data and specific family characteristics, can be used as a classroom case study for role playing and assessing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In June 2009, the Commonwealth Attorney General in Australia announced a Family Relationship Centres/ Legal Assistance Partnerships Program, (the 'Better Partnerships' program). Its aim was to assist separated or separating families, 'by providing access to early and targeted legal information and advice when attending Family Relationship Centres' ( Mc Clelland, 2009). After contextualizing this significant shift in policy and practice, the present paper reports on largely positive key results of an evaluation of the program by the Australian Institute of Family Studies. The paper concludes with reflections on future challenges and possibilities regarding ongoing collaboration between Australia's legal and family relationship sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While approaches to the analysis of multiple perspectives have been explored, the earlier stage of arranging fieldwork with multiple family members has received relatively little reflection within the literature. Drawing on data from a qualitative study exploring family communication about sex and sexuality, this paper examines parents' and children's accounts of how their families became involved in the research. A key finding notes how dynamics of parent-child communication about sex were played out through families' interactions concerning research participation. Particular focus is paid to the ways in which information about the study was mediated between parents and children and also individuals' differential agendas for participation. Evidence of the persuasive practices of some parents to engage their families in research underlines the importance of accessing all potential participants directly. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of sensitisation to interactions between family members themselves when engaging families in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies conducted over the past three decades have highlighted the social, political, and economic impact that women homesteaders had on the western prairie region. Their involvement on the family homestead, whether taking part in subsistence and domestic chores or as workers in the fields, was a necessary aspect of the development and success of family farming and an agriculture-based economy in Western Canada. This paper reveals details of another aspect of family labor that often fell on the shoulders of women, that is, the provision of medical care needed to ensure the health of themselves, their spouses, and their children. Given the labor-intensive nature of the frontier lifestyle, the associated physical hazards, the number of disease-susceptible children in the region, and the scarcity of medical institutions and personnel, women were often called upon by their families and neighbors to deal with outbreaks of disease, injuries, and health crises. Using survey data collected by the Saskatchewan Archives Board in 1955 to illustrate the nature of the work performed, this paper argues that women's health care labor efforts were vital to the preservation of homesteading families in the prairie region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper is the result of our interest in preventing adaptation problems (delinquency, academic failure and absenteeism at school, drug use, etc.) in young children and adolescents at risk, as well as the need to develop effective programmes adapted to the population in the Balearic Islands (Spain). Purpose: The objective of this paper was to describe the characteristics and outcomes obtained in the Family Competence Programme (FCP), which is an adaptation of the Strengthening Families Programme (SFP) for the population of the Balearic Islands (Spain). Programme description: Like the SFP, the FCP is a multi-component programme that aims to reduce the influence of risk factors associated with alcohol and drug use while increasing children's resilience by reinforcing the main protective factors. The programme combines training in parenting skills, work with the entire family and children's social skills during 14 weekly sessions. The sessions were led by group leaders with long-standing experience in handling groups and working with populations undergoing treatment and who were also trained specifically to apply the programme. Sample: Two applications of the programme were implemented. The final sample was made up of 58 adult men and women (28 in experimental groups and 30 in control groups) who attended treatment or their partners; their average age was 39. A total of 35 children who were 10.6 years of age on average took part in the programme (19 in experimental groups and 16 in control groups). There were 31 families in all (15 in experimental groups and 16 in control groups). All the participants in the experimental groups live in Mallorca (Spain), while the control groups lived in other cities in Spain. Design and methods: We used a quasi-experimental design with an unmatched control group and pre- and post-treatment measures. The subjects were not randomly assigned to the experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups. The first application took place between 28 January 2005 and 13 May 2005. The second application began on 7 October 2005 and concluded on 27 January 2006. We used participant self-reports together with information supplied by the children's teachers. The instruments included those employed in the SFP and others that had been validated for the Spanish population. The ANOVA, t-test and Cohen's d were used to analyse the data obtained. In addition, we recorded the programme attendance. Results: Percentages for programme attendance were very high and remained high during all 14 sessions. Family relationships, parental education skills, children's behavior and their social skills all improved. Conclusions: Our study indicates that the FCP and its capacity to achieve its objectives are effective, although further research with a larger sample is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women in Viet Nam have long had to face various sexual and reproductive health problems, ranging from abortion to reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and sexual coercion. These issues have increasingly been addressed by scholars in the fields of public health and social sciences through sexual and reproductive health research and in other ways. Despite this, there remains a lack of in-depth information on attitudes and practices regarding sex and sexuality of Vietnamese women today. This paper in part responds to the knowledge gap by reporting on findings from qualitative research on sexual attitudes and practices among rural married women in a Northern rural community, measured against the broader social and cultural context. Twenty-five women in total were interviewed; and two focus group discussions were conducted. The findings show that women generally believe that men are (or should be) the initiators in sexual relations. Many women feel reluctant to refuse sex to their husbands or communicate openly about sex and sexuality. However, this paper also demonstrates that women are not totally passive in sexual relations. Women in this study used a range of strategies to negotiate their sexual life, and sometimes 'silence' is used as a form of agency in order to maintain harmony and happiness within the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social Change has transformed societies globally through the spread of education, the evolution of formal labor markets and the new roles individuals now play in the development of their societies. Just as economic institutions have been affected so have social institutions like the family, been transformed. Urbanization has led to the disintegration of the joint family to the independent, small, nuclear family. With residential autonomy and lack of control from the joint family elders, divorce rates have been rising universally. This paper studies the trend of Divorce in Kuwaiti Society. Kuwait is an oil rich Gulf state where rapid economic development has been witnessed for over four decades. Urbanization and the Governments' Welfare policies have helped young married couples to move to new areas and establish their homes. While social allowances for wife, children, etc were intended to help the Kuwaiti family, cope with the rising cost of living, divorce rates did not decline. Through Vital Statistics, data from the court of Justice and past research, the paper tries to examine the characteristics of those getting divorced. What factors have had an effect on this trend -- education, age at marriage, women's labor force participation? How has the State attempted to help divorced women to readjust? Modernization has led to contradictions and challenges -- weakening of the family support systems, legal reforms and a new awareness of rights and duties among the two sexes. How can these changes shed light on the problem of divorce? This study attempts to explain why divorce is a problem in Kuwait and some possible solutions to reduce the negative impact of divorce on future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors claim that the recognition of interdependence as a guiding principle of child and family policy has the potential to transform legal systems to make them less punitive and more constructive, less judgmental towards individuals and more empathic to the protection of relationships and self-constructed identities. By embracing the notion of interdependence, our societies can be moved toward greater recognition of our common humanity to the great benefit of children and their families, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Four lenses are articulated in this paper Therapeutic jurisprudence, preventive law, family systems theory, and culture. The. paper shows how these lenses point toward mare supportive rather than punitive types of interventions in the lives of children and their families. The paper demonstrates that, despite the fact that questionable parental behavior may initially engender feelings of anger and aversion, an empathic public response-one that recognizes the reality of the interdependence between parents and children-not only comports with current enlightened interdisciplinary approaches, but also promotes child and family well-being. The authors suggest that such a response not only be contemplated and understood, but that it should also reframe child and family policies and practices. The family group conference model represents a tool for such reframing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the change of generational relations in Germany based on demographic development. It is said that demographic index numbers have significant meanings for explaining structure and development of generational relations in families. Birth, marriage, separation and divorce are factors which substantially determine family and partnership structures. During the second half of the twentieth century, the change of timing of childbirth in the life-course, the lengthened life expectancy, and the increased numbers of separations and divorces are three important factors affecting intergenerational family structure significantly. In this paper, it is shown that these demographic factors changed the structure of generations. Specifically, the changing role of grandparents in the family as well as the changing nature of contact between generations are delineated.

This paper examines the departure from parental home in two European countries: Italy and West Germany. A common trend toward longer education and marriage delay has had, in the two societies, different residential outcomes. Cohort comparisons indicate that two different pathways out of the parental home emerged: Italians wait for marriage, while Germans increasingly depart for premarital independence. In this paper, the author argues that the timing of and the reasons for leaving home differ according to the resources available, but relate also to the existing cultural values and institutional contexts. Moreover, this paper also points out some important within-country differences, above all gender and regional variation.

This paper examines intergenerational value transmission between Taiwanese parents and their teenage children. Child rearing values, revised from Kohn's scale with cultural concerns considered, are used to test the expected relationship. An attempt is also made to test the Western work socialization hypothesis in shaping parental child rearing values in Taiwan. It is argued in this paper that besides the manifest effect of parent's occupation, the social norms imbedded may serve a more powerful explanation and should be taken into account. The paper further intends to delineate an indigenous classification of social class in a society like Taiwan, to incorporate cultural elements such as traditional social values and sex-role attitudes in the analysis, and to present comparative research results in line with previous efforts on the value transmission in the family.

This article discusses the theme of the research papers presented in the Autumn 2004 issue of the "Journal of Comparative Family Studies." The journal issue comprises seven papers which discuss the intergenerational relations between youth and their families. The papers present issues such as intergenerational transmission, conflict and interaction patterns between generations, and structural and cultural variations of youth decisions. All papers are based on empirical data of large sample sizes, and quantitative analysis is the common method used to delineate the intergenerational interaction pattern among youth families. Policy implications are also discussed, with relevant research findings to substantiate the stated proposals.

The article presents information about the 2004 Family Conference, held in Singapore. The Australian Institute of family Studies participated in the conference that was held to mark the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF). The IYF celebrations culminated in a two-day Family Conference followed by a Family Festival. The Family Conference was organized by Singapore's Committee on the Family, the IYF taskforce, and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. The conference comprised two parts: a Regional Family Policy Forum and Family Matters Seminar. Speakers from various countries were nominated to present papers and to join in panel discussions which involved considerable audience participation. The article discusses various issues raised in the papers presented at the Regional Family Policy Forum. In total, nine papers were presented during the Forum. Considerable consistency in findings or conclusions emerged not only within the three sessions but also across these sessions.

This paper critically examines Louise Silverstein's and Carl Auerbach' s paper on Deconstructing the Essential Father. The paper provides research support for their position that children benefit from stable, consistent, loving, low-conflict parenting arrangements; irrespective of the gender of the parent. Silverstein and Auerbach, however, go beyond this conclusion to also recommend that children would benefit from being reconnected with their 'absent' fathers. The current paper challenges this particular conclusion to their critique and explores the apparently contradictory position that there is no essential need for fathers vet efforts should be made to proactively develop and support social and emotional connections between children and their fathers. The paper also examines other literature and research findings around the 'unique' contribution of social fathering in raising children, and concludes that there is no social, psychological, or developmental justification to legislate for father presence. There is no research-based credibility in promoting patriarchal, nuclear family formation as a preferred social and family structure to optimise children's emotional, social, physical, and economic outcomes. The political and social pretext that underlines 'hither absence fear' is just that; a pretext to retain the hegemony of patriarchal nuclear family life and restore fathers to their `rightful positions of power and control within families. In developing a conclusion to this critique, the paper draws on a briefcase-study from a lesbian-parented family research project conducted in Victoria, Australia, and illustrates implications for family therapists with a brief clinical vignette. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After summarising current knowledge on homosexuality as a framework for discussion, the paper by Gonzlez, Morcillo, Snchez, Chacn, and Gmez (also in this issue) is analysed. The paper is of great relevance since it is the first time this subject has been studied in our country. However, the authors have managed to study a type of family of which we do not know the population, and therefore cannot take a good sampling of it. Indeed, the lack of representativeness and the impossibility of knowing if the families in the study have or not common characteristics with these types of families is one of the study's main drawbacks . The results, in any case, are interesting and are a good starting point for discussion. The most relevant aspect is that, as other studies have shown, the development of children raised in homosexual households (with single parents or not) may be similar to that of other children (in heterosexual households). We also underline various discrepancies observed in the study, primarily related to how the conclusions and general conclusions are presented. Finally, our view on this controversial issue is stated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, much of the research on the interaction between work and family has focused on single countries or comparative studies on OECD countries. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of bringing a truly global perspective to comparative research on work, family, and community questions. We conducted an examination of extended-hour work in four countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This paper highlights two facts: first, the feasibility of using existing data sources to carry out comparative research on a more diverse range of countries than has generally been conducted to date, and second, the importance of conducting such analyses because of the critical insights that are gained for improving public policies and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family scholars have developed a greater sensitivity to the relative neglect of families of color in research. However, there are a number of limitations in the research on families of color; specifically, race and ethnicity are often confounded with socioeconomic indicators and community of residence. This makes it difficult to identify the true effects of ethnicity and culture. In addition, race and ethnicity may interact with chronic poverty in such a way as to further interfere with and reduce life opportunities. Here we discuss some of the theoretical and conceptual issues pertaining to race, ethnicity, and culture as they affect family functioning and children's development. In addition, we introduce a collection of papers that address family functioning and children's development among families who are diverse ethnically, racially, socioeconomically, and by geographical location and community. The issues posed in this paper and in the Special Section challenge the field to reconsider how we study families and child development from culturally grounded perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the Australian Institute on Family Studies' Housing Across the Life Course project. This paper set out to illustrate how the key concepts of a risk society might become manifest in contemporary Australian housing careers. This led to a consideration of whether entry to home purchase shows signs of increased differentiation and disconnectedness. Analysis reveals no evidence of increased differentiation; on the contrary, the age-related norm of entry to home ownership appears to be strengthening. That is, entry to home ownership by later cohorts is increasingly likely to have been attained within a narrower span of years than earlier cohorts. The data suggest that if individuals have not entered home ownership by their early thirties, they are increasingly unlikely to do so. With regard to disconnectedness, analysis found that entry to home ownership is becoming increasingly disconnected from other life course events. The paper has provided brief illustrations of the manifestation of risk society concepts and what they might mean for our understanding of family life.

This paper provides the first report of an intensive empirical study of social relations of unemployment on a Glasgow housing estate. Its sample is divided into two equal, age-based categories corresponding to families where the male 'head of household' is over 25 and has a previous record of regular work, and those under 25 where such experience is absent. The paper identifies and examines a domestic and work-linked cycle which has been disrupted by unemployment. On this basis we then consider the differential adaptation to unemployment of the two groups; differences in their gender relations and differences in the forms and degrees of their reliance on kin and other support. We finally and tentatively propose some connections between unemployment and domestic conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses women's strategies during the economic reforms with a focus on housing policies. It uses the housing issue to address the importance of identifying impacts on both women as individuals and as family members when evaluating development programs. A case study of a family in Cairo illustrates the issues involved. The paper then considers modifications for impact assessment of programs so that the concept of end user is broadened to include the woman and the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on original empirical research, this paper presents a comparative and comprehensive portrait of household composition, size and structure in Southeast Asia, using data from various rounds of Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). Countries included in the analyses are Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Findings point to similarities across countries in the region on some aspects of household such as household structure. However there are important differences in other aspects such as household headship. Overall, the findings show both the diversity and similarities in households in Southeast Asia. The findings are interpreted by situating them within the broader historical, cultural, social and demographic frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We thank Professor Parkinson for his response (Parkinson, 2013) to our paper published in the Journal of Family Studies (Lucas, Nicholson, & Erbas, 2013) and the opportunity to expand upon the position presented in our discussion. Parkinson argues that it was inappropriate for us to cite his report For Kids' Sake: Repairing the social environment for Australian children and young people (FKS) (Parkinson, 2011) as supporting claims that two biological parent households are superior environments for children to grow up in, and takes exception to our view that such a position is a 'simplistic view of the relationship between family structure and child outcomes' (Lucas et al., 2013). We acknowledge that the FKS report reviewed a considerable amount of contemporary family research that covered an array of viewpoints regarding the effects of living in a non-two-biological parent family on children. We also support the majority of recommendations made in the report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an exploratory study with low income young people that sought to explore the discourses on which they drew their understandings about health and whether family structure mediated individual agency. Based on an interpretive perspective, the voices of three participants were selected from an inner city secondary school. Drawn from a larger study, participants were interviewed in pairs and asked to elaborate on their understanding and experience of health, fitness and physical activity. The analytical framework was influenced by the work of Bourdieu, recognising the importance of structure and agency. This study suggests that young people were implicated in the reproduction of a healthism discourse, while family was recognised as a social “field” that shaped their dispositions toward health-related practices. However their ability to enact health dispositions and maintain a healthy lifestyle was constrained by their family structure and the structural social conditions of their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thought disorder as well as language and communication disturbances are associated with schizophrenia and are over-represented in clinically unaffected relatives of schizophrenics. All three kinds of dysfunction involve some element of deviant verbalizations, most notably, semantic anomalies. Of particular importance, thought disorder characterized primarily by deviant verbalizations has a higher recurrence in relatives of schizophrenic patients than schizophrenia itself. These findings suggest that deviant verbalizations may be more penetrant expressions of schizophrenia susceptibility genes than schizophrenia. This paper reviews the evidence documenting the presence of thought, language and communication disorders in schizophrenic patients and in their first-degree relatives. This familial aggregation potentially implicates genetic factors in the etiology of thought disorder, language anomalies, and communication disturbances in schizophrenia families. We also present two examples of ways in which thought, language and communication disorders can enrich genetic studies, including those involving schizophrenia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bowen Family Systems Theory is most commonly used to understand and predict family process. It is also applied to other potentially intense relationship systems, especially the workplace. It has been used by workplace consultants and by individuals to understand, and to manage, their own workplace functioning. This paper will draw from several key Bowen concepts to analyse common workplace dilemmas and to suggest responses that may assist the functioning of the individual and the system. The author's own experience as a manager in a child and adolescent mental health programme will be used as the case study to illustrate the theory's application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we report an empirical study of the photographic portrayal of family members at home. Adopting a social psychological approach and focusing on intergenerational power dynamics, our research explores the use of domestic photo displays in family representation. Parents and their teenagers from eight families in the south of England were interviewed at home about their interpretations of both stored and displayed photos within the home. Discussions centred on particular photographs found by the participants to portray self and family in different ways. The findings show that public displays of digital photos are still curated by mothers of the households, but with more difficulty and less control than with analogue photos. In addition, teenagers both contribute and comply with this curation within the home, whilst at the same time developing additional ways of presenting their families and themselves online that are ‘unsupervised’ by the curator. We highlight the conflict of interest that is at play within teen and parent practices and consider the challenges that this presents for supporting the representation of family through the design of photo display technology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reviews the current state of research into the genetics of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Heredity has a major role in OCD etiology. This evidence comes from several methodological approaches such as family, twin, and segregation analysis studies. A major single gene effect as well as a polygenic hypothesis has been suggested based on segregation studies. In addition, candidate gene association and linkage analyses have shown not only one gene, but a few interesting genes and areas of the genome that may be relevant in OCD. In this search for genes, new definitions of the OCD phenotype have emerged, and some of them may be considered intermediate phenotypes between the gene effect and OCD–DSM-IV diagnosis. The phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of OCD magnifies the challenge of locating susceptibility genes; at the same time, the identification of vulnerability genes will elucidate the identification of subtypes or dimensions of the disorder. Therefore research strategies that take advantage of clinical subtyping and that redefine the OCD phenotype in the context of genetic studies may potentially contribute to the nosology of OCD and ultimately pathophysiology. There is a lack of understanding about how genes and environment interact in OCD. However, there are some reports that will be discussed, which have attempted to evaluate how the environment contributes to OCD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Division of labor in wedding planning varies for first-time marriages, with three types of couples—traditional, transitional, and egalitarian—identified, but nothing is known about wedding planning for remarrying individuals. Using semistructured interviews, the author interviewed 14 couples in which at least one person had remarried and used directed content analysis to investigate the extent to which the aforementioned typology could be transferred to this different context. In this paper she describes how a triangulation of analytic techniques provided validation for couple classifications and also helped with moving beyond "blind spots" in data analysis. Analytic approaches were the constant comparative technique, rank order comparison, and visual representation of coding, using MAXQDA 2007's tool called TextPortraits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the authors' ideas about parenting adult children, describes some of the results of a larger qualitative research study and explores possible implications for practice. The study is based on in-depth analyses of narratives from interviews of a non-clinical population of parents of adult children. It represents part of an ongoing study to develop an understanding of an under-researched area of family life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marriage in Taiwan in the early twentieth century was a very diverse phenomenon. Marriages could be in the "minor"fashion, in which the bride was adopted at an early age by her parents-in-law. They could also be of the virilocal "major" type, in which young adults married and lived in the household of the husband's parents. Finally, they could be "uxorilocal," in which the husband came to live with his in-laws. The diversity of types reflects a complex mixture of motives on behalf of parents, who aimed to secure the patrilineage, but in the meantime were motivated to save on wedding expenses, safeguard their hold on the younger generation, forge alliances between clans, and bring in additional labor. In our paper, we assess the relative importance of these parental motives by applying a competing risks analysis on household registry data from nine Taiwanese communities. By combining data on the levels of the individuals, the composition of their households, the characteristics of their communities, and economic fluctuations, we demonstrate the remarkable flexibility and adaptability of Taiwanese marriage within the overriding constraint of producing male offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents reasons why Darwinism should be of use to family research. I argue: (1) that most social scientists are Darwinians; (2) that Darwinism is a theory of nepotism and conjugal relations; (3) that Darwinism cannot subsume other fields of inquiry because it is not monolithic; (4) that Darwinism needs psychological and sociological depictions of current environments; and (5) that the popularity of Darwinian ideas may lead to the formation of social constructions and representations of family and conjugal relations within families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper studies the connections between marital conflicts, child rearing practices, and children's behaviour problems within the framework of ecological validity in family education. The results show the effects which marital conflicts and child rearing practices exert on behaviour problems. In addition, the mediational model of child rearing practices, gender and age is confirmed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we talk about creating coherence and transparency in the relationships between teacher, model of adult learning and subject taught. We describe how we have made connections between adult learning theory and family therapy to generate resources for action in teaching on the qualifying level course at Northumbria University. Using a recent teaching session and the voices of trainees, we illustrate these connections with an example of teaching about relational reflexivity, using methods which enabled us to generate reflexive ‘flow’ in the learning context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational contexts can be both enriched and impoverished by our relationship with learning and our ‘identity stories’ as learners influence how we construct contexts for learning. Keenoy et al. (2007) describe identity as a ‘transient bridging concept’ between the individual and society which is constructed through ‘reflexive processes of naming, labelling, classifying and associating symbolic artefacts and social actors in a dialogical process of social definition and redefinition’. Can methods of assessment be constructed to afford reflexive, dialogical learning opportunities? This paper outlines the design and methodology of a reflexive framework for the summative assessment of abilities used on the Intermediate Level course at Northumbria University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses findings from a small-scale qualitative pilot study exploring the family structure of Emirati families in the United Arab Emirates. Here four Emirati families participating in the study discuss the effects of rapid social change across the generations and the perceived influence of these upon the roles and responsibilities of men and women in contemporary society in relation to child-rearing practices. Parental expectations for adult children in relation to marriage and careers are explored, focusing finally on the attitudes and perceptions towards ageing. Topics were considered in relation to how cultural, religious and social precepts govern and shape gender norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes one type of transnational migrant practices, affective and care ties, from a family perspective, including the overlapping of productive and reproductive spheres. It uses a transnational perspective on migration to explore the relationships and practices linking migrants to their societies of origin. To this end, it examines the practices of 'transnational families' in two migrant groups: Peruvian and Ecuadorian migrants living in Spain and their counterparts in their countries of origin. The study explores the elements of continuity and change in family relations as a result of migratory processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines results of the study of the phenomenon of contemporary fatherhood from the viewpoint of the transformation of men's family roles. The modernization of marriage and family in Russia has led to an increasing dominance of individual values: broader freedom of choice for the woman and the man both in the family and in social fields, the equality of spouses or partners, as well as higher opportunities for self-realization. The Russian husband-wife 'equality' in exercising the role of 'breadwinner' seems to further diminish the man's role in the family and leads to a weakening of the function of social fatherhood; in consequence, fathers take less responsibility for the rearing and socialization of their offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a novel way of testing the stigmatization hypothesis. The stigmatization hypothesis argues that people who break traditional norms, experience sanctions from the people that surround them. We apply this hypothesis to the case of divorce and examine whether higher normative intolerance toward divorce in the region of residence lead to declines in social contacts after divorce. To test the hypothesis, we match data from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) to data from the European Values Study (EVS). The ECHP data are used to model individual changes in social contacts after divorce. The EVS data are used to develop measures of individual attitudes against divorce in 65 European regions. Multilevel analyses are used to link the two, where individuals are nested in regions. The results provide partial confirmation for the stigmatization hypothesis. We first find that attitudes about divorce not only differ significantly between countries, they also differ significantly between regions within countries. Second, in regions where there is more disapproval of divorce, women experience greater declines in contacts with friends and relatives after divorce, men and women experience greater declines in neighborhood contacts, and men are more likely to end their club memberships. Third, we find that the stigmatization effect is primarily present for divorcees who did not move after divorce. Our analyses provide more direct evidence for the operation of social norms than previous studies on family behavior have done. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we propose a psychosociological critical theory, which can be applied modestly in particular contexts such as families, organizations and communities. We use discourse analysis as an empirical action-research method, able to study and see families as protagonists with their own history and local culture. We have developed two methodologies, analysis of dominant and alternative discourses and a dialogue based on naïve questions, which have allowed the creation of a link between individual problems and social issues, and have empowered people to do something for themselves and their community. Our methodologies have led us to create a critical and reflective research to resolve psychological problems in families and, at the same time, change the attitudes of their members to more complex social problems, such as gender discrimination, violence, impunity, asymmetric power relations and racism. We propose that social researchers, in particular in Latin America, will take a reflective, critical and political stance, aimed not only at developing knowledge, but also at promoting socio-cultural changes for the families and their communities as a part of the political transformation of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstracts of selected articles and papers relevant to family studies are presented, including a doctoral dissertation by O. A. Anderson on parenting and youth problem behavior, a doctoral dissertation by C. F. Cabrero on the effect of parental marital status on self-concept in adult children, and an article by H. S. Caples and M. Barrera Jr. examining relations between mothers and adolescent children.

Grandmothers often play an important role in low-income minority families through providing support to their adult children as well as care to their grandchildren. However, little is known about how varying types of grandmother involvement may influence their grandchildren's functioning. This paper uses data from Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study, a longitudinal study sampling low-income minority youth from high-poverty neighborhoods, to explore how young adolescents (age 10–14 years at Time 1) function over time based on grandmothers' residential status and their level of caretaking responsibility. Analyses find that young adolescents with a custodial grandmother displayed greater levels of externalizing problem behaviors over time while young adolescents with a co-residing grandmother reported fewer depressive symptoms over time as compared with their peers. The importance of considering the influence of grandmothers who are more involved, especially among low-income, minority families, in research and practice will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family therapy models often do not reflect the realities and desires of many gay and lesbian couples. Therapists working with this population are left to decide whether to apply these models as they are, to discard them, or to attempt to modify them as they assist their clients. Using research findings and case examples that describe the intergenerational boundaries for gay and lesbian couples as well as the nonmonogamous relationships of gay men, this paper illustrates how therapists can adapt family therapy models to suit the needs and preferences of this client population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we hypothesize that farmers with a stronger valuation of family farming will be more resistant to converting farmland to tree plantations. Our survey data analysis from 106 farmers in northern Alberta reveals that general opposition to trees on farmland is the strongest predictor of farmers' resistance to the establishment of poplar tree plantations on privately-owned land. Valuation of family farming is the strongest determinant of resistance to trees on farmland. Among the potential intervening variables influencing support for tree plantations, including county, age, gender, number of children, and percent of income from farming, number of children and percent of income from farming had significant direct effects on valuation of family farming. This study suggests that economic incentives alone are unlikely to influence farmers' willingness to convert their land to non-traditional uses, and that intergenerational transfer of land, and its relationship to valuation of family farming, deserves further attention in rural sociological scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and analyzes some contributions from sociologists Anthony Giddens, Scott Lash, Ulrich Beck and Elizabeth Gernsheim, for the comprehension of the changes faced by society in general and the family in particular, with the transition of the Middle Age to the Modern Age and Postmodernity. These thinkers represent the sociological theory known as the "Reflexive Modernization Theory", from which they review and explain some of the traditional and emergent family functions, as a paradigmatic social entity. Based on some of their conclusions, new educational social demands are examined, with the purpose of reviewing educational tasks in this context. Some of Luhmann's theses about the origin of modern education and the technological deficit in education are reviewed, in order to point out some of the macro trends of contemporary education in the context of modernization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Pediatric bipolar disorder (BPD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) co-occur more frequently than expected by chance. In this review, we examine 4 potential explanations for the high rate of this common co-occurrence: (i) BPD symptom expression leads to overdiagnosis of ADHD in BPD youth; (ii) ADHD is a prodromal or early manifestation of pediatric-onset BPD; (iii) ADHD and associated factors (e.g., psychostimulants) lead to the onset of pediatric BPD; and (iv) ADHD and BPD share an underlying biological etiology (i.e., a common familial or genetic risk or underlying neurophysiology). Methods: Peer-reviewed publications of studies of children and adolescents with comorbid BPD and ADHD were reviewed. Results: There is a bidirectional overlap between BPD and ADHD in youth, with high rates of ADHD present in children with BPD (up to 85%), and elevated rates of BPD in children with ADHD (up to 22%). Phenomenologic, genetic, family, neuroimaging, and treatment studies revealed that BPD and ADHD have both common and distinct characteristics. While there are data to support all 4 explanations postulated in this paper, the literature most strongly suggests that ADHD symptoms represent a prodromal or early manifestation of pediatric-onset BPD in certain at-risk individuals. Bipolar disorder with comorbid ADHD may thus represent a developmentally specific phenotype of early-onset BPD. Conclusions: The etiology of comorbid BPD and ADHD is likely multifactorial. Additional longitudinal and biological studies are warranted to clarify the relationships between BPD and ADHD since they may have important diagnostic and treatment implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses data from the Milwaukee TANF Applicant Study to examine what a sample of 1,075 TANF applicants from Milwaukee County knew about Wisconsin's TANF program and its relationship to other programs for low-income families. The data suggest that there were significant gaps in knowledge about the program both at the time of application and approximately 18 months later. Although there was a positive relationship between knowledge about the program and participation, even those who participated in the program were frequently confused. This confusion could also account for some of the discrepancies we found when we compared applicant self-reports to state administrative data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational transfers in families are increasingly a topic of interest in the context of reductions in the welfare state and increased longevity. This paper draws upon data from a study of four-generation families which afforded an opportunity to examine the transfer of material and care resources across family generations. It explores ways in which family members from different generations talked about family obligations and the relevance of the concept ‘cultures of transmission’ in classifying these discourses. It addresses the questions: How far are cultures of transmission familial in the sense of typifying particular families? And how far are they shaped by life course phase and by historical context? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As newcomers on college campuses, family policy courses have the potential to benefit policymaking, fill a void in undergraduate and graduate education, strengthen families, and prepare students for lifelong political engagement during a pivotal period in their development. Yet, family policy has proven a challenging course to teach. Family policy is an esoteric concept, which makes courses difficult to distinguish from other policy courses. The content of a family policy course is fluid and inherently value laden. This paper proposes course content and teaching techniques to transform these challenges into learning opportunities. The author discusses similarities and differences in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and recommends cross-university dialogue and resource exchange to improve the teaching of family policy in college classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]