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Elderly Americans commit suicide at higher rates than other age groups. We contend that macro- and micro-social variables contribute distinct aspects to explanations of this tragic loss: the former focus on circumstances that affect overall rates, the latter reveal why certain individuals succumb to suicide. Our analysis focuses on the macro-social end of a causal sequence including variables at both levels. We describe how elderly suicide rates vary among states, show that macrosocial indicators of social integration contribute to cross-state variation in elderly suicide rates, and explain how selected aspects of state-level public policy contribute to reducing elderly suicide rates.

Research indicates an association between parents' disciplinary practices and their children's developmental outcomes. Research also suggests that disciplinary practices vary with demographic factors such as class, ethnicity, and gender. This article draws on the Douglas-Wildavsky grid-group theory to explain the association between demographic factors and disciplinary practices in microsocial terms. This theory links disparate sets of core beliefs and value priorities to contrasting conceptions of the family (including distinctive orientations toward parenting) and parental preferences for different disciplinary strategies. Studies by other researchers provide empirical support for these linkages. This grid-group theory application contributes to theory development through (a) bridging macroexplanations and microexplanations by showing how culture contributes to shaping parental practices, (b) distinguishing rival sets of core beliefs and value priorities that help researchers and practitioners understand parents, and (c) indicating ways for practitioners to apply these distinctions in family intervention.

All the U.S. states create residential property tax abatement policies that provide important benefits for a rapidly growing older population. These policies vary sharply, and we seek to explain variation in their generosity. We employ regression in conjunction with a cross-sectional data set of the 50 states focused early in the current decade. Several variables prominent in explaining cross-state variation in other public policies exert only modest effects on these programs. Rather, the primary influence is a positive one for a cultural orientation toward government helping a broad swath of the citizenry. We attribute this unusual pattern of explanatory factors to (1) abatement programs' older target populations; (2) their tax expenditure status; and (3) their tendency to be categorized as economic development rather than social programs. This explanatory pattern holds theoretical importance inasmuch as it provides few constraints on the growth of at least some programs serving older citizens. Keywords: Residential Property Taxes, Senior Tax Relief, State Senior Residential Property Tax Abatement, State Tax Policy, Tax Abatement. Todos los estados de la Union Americana establecen politicas de reduccion de impuestos para las propiedades residenciales que dan beneficios importantes para la poblacion, en rapido crecimiento, de adultos mayores. Estas politicas varian bruscamente y buscamos explicar la variacion en su generosidad. Empleamos una regresion conjuntamente con datos transversales de 50 estados y enfocados en el principio de la decada actual. Diversas variables que explican la variacion entre estados en otras politicas publicas solo ejercen efectos modestos en estos programas de reduccion de impuestos. En cambio, la influencia mas importante es una positiva para la orientacion cultural relacionada con la ayuda del gobierno para una amplia porcion de la ciudadania. Atribuimos este diseno inusual de factores explicativos a: (1) la poblacion objetivo de adultos mayores de estos programas de reducciones; (2) al estatus de los adultos mayores en los programas de reducciones y (3) a la tendencia de que la reduccion de impuestos para las propiedades residenciales sea categorizada como desarrollo economico en lugar de programas sociales. Este patron explicativo mantiene una importancia teorica dado que provee pocas restricciones para el desarrollo en el futuro de al menos algunos programas de ayuda a la ciudadania de adultos mayores., We examine the bases for variation in the residential property tax advantages that states grant to older adults. Such abatements either reduce elders' taxes in comparison with other residential property [...]

States employ home and community-based services (HCBS) increasingly in Medicaid support of long-term care and rely less on nursing facilities. We examine how states' nursing facilities and HCBS programs compare and whether states' long-term care responses' match their ideological inclination toward, material capacity for supporting, and their citizens' need for these public social programs. We use cross-sectional panel data on structural, process, and outcome quality for nursing facilities and HCBS congregate residential programs. We rank states, correlate these measures, and use regression to link inclination, capacity, and need to quality. We find that states' nursing facility and HCBS program quality are not closely related and that state HCBS congregate residential program quality is independent of inclination, capacity, and need. This latter result underscores a need for uniform HCBS standards and better data on quality. KEYWORDS home and community-based services, long-term care, Medicaid, nursing facility care, state long-term care policy

We address two issues in this exploratory study. First, to what degree do variables prominent in explaining cross-state variation in the generosity of other public assistance programs also help to explain the resources states devote to nursing facility long-term care for the elderly, a service supported largely by states' Medicaid programs? Second, to what degree do the resources that states commit to this purpose influence the quality of state nursing facility processes and, in turn, translate into state nursing facility residents' quality-of-life outcomes? We find unusual features to the pattern of factors explaining state resource levels. We also find surprises in relations among the three aspects of quality, but overall, raising resource adequacy improves nursing facility process quality, which, in turn, bolsters nursing facility residents' quality-of-life outcomes. We close with suggestions for further improvement. doi: 10.1300/J031v19n04_01 KEYWORDS. Elder care, long-term care quality, nursing facility quality, state-level public social programs, state policy differences

As the number of persons affected by divorce rises, controversies develop within states over the appropriate character of laws about grandparents' visitation rights (GVR). Consequently, there is considerable cross-state variation in GVR statutes, and we link this variation with state political culture. We argue that adherents of the rival cultures distinguished by Douglas-Wildavsky 'grid-group' theory will: (1) hold different conceptions of the family, (2) adopt contrasting orientations toward grandparenting and (3) create distinctive GVR statutes. Our empirical analysis supports our theory-based explanation and prediction for the pattern of variation in state GVR statutes, but the predicted relations are not as strong as we had anticipated. KEYWORDS. Culture, divorce, grandparenting, grandparents' rights, grid-group theory

Family researchers disagree on the family characteristics essential for meeting children's developmental needs. Some argue that a particular family structure, two biological parents, is crucial. Others maintain that specific parenting behaviors and access to resources are more important than a particular structure for meeting children's needs. We examine this issue in the instance of children's moral development for which two distinct literatures, those on gender-related conception of morality and communitarian social theory, suggest the importance of two biological parents for meeting children's needs. These literatures place moral development in the position of a test case for the importance of family structure. If it is not essential in this instance, is it likely to be crucial with respect to other development needs? While the evidence is incomplete and mixed, our review of family studies research on children's moral development reveals no clear-cut case for a particular family structure. We conclude by suggesting a political strategy focused on meeting children's developmental needs. By virtue of its friendliness to families with two biological parents as well as the importance it places on parenting behavior and family support systems, both social conservatives and liberals might support this focus, thus fostering common ground for policy development. Keywords. Child development, parenting, family structure, divorce

Each year, approximately one million cases of child abuse are reported and confirmed in the United States (Finkelhor, 1994). According to most studies, child abuse occurs in stepfamilies at higher rates than in natal families, but there are many unanswered questions about the accuracy of this claim and its causes. This paper will: (a) examine major studies on rates of child abuse in stepfamilies, (b) compare theoretical perspectives applied to this issue, and (c) discuss implications for research and practice. Gaining a full understanding of this issue will contribute to the research on how remarriages influence the development of increasing numbers of children and adolescents and will provide clearer guidelines for stepfamilies and practitioners.

High divorce and remarriage rates affect parental roles and child development. This research shows half of the ex-spouses share the parental role when the custodial parent is remarried. The quality of the stepfamily environment is explored. Divorced parents must put aside negative emotions in the interest of the child. (VM)