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The paper reviews research findings from various European countries (including the author's own studies in Vienna) on intergenerational relations between parents and their grown-up children. Numerous data disprove certain important features of the classical theory of the isolated nuclear family in industrialized and urbanized society. Although, according to newer data, joint living is a minority pattern, effective interaction (economic support, help in both ways and mutual visiting) is frequent and emotionally important particularly to the elderly. ‘Intimacy—but at a distance—corresponds to wishes of both generations. A special section of the paper is dedicated to propositions for theoretical innovation in the problem area studied including, e.g., a criticism of role theory, a criticism of statements on family cohesion based on findings of help patterns only. The paper postulates an amalgamation of major aspects of social gerontology with a sociology of the family cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents news briefs on several social science publications as of December 1972. The 1972 edition of the book "Statistical Abstract of the United States," was issued by the U.S. Bureau of Census. This 93rd annual edition of the "Abstract" includes a more comprehensive section of statistics from the 1970 U.S. Census of Population and Housing than was possible in 1971. "Current Research" booklet published in English, is now available from the Centre for European Society. The American Academy of Political and Social Science will publish a special monograph of papers and proceedings presented at a two day conference on Integration of the Social Sciences Through Policy Analysis.

The article presents information on various research papers from Europe published in an earlier issue of the journal "International Migration Review". "Family Planning Among Different Ethnic Groups," by R.E.D. Simpson. In this extract, from his much longer report "A Medico-Social Study of a Group Practice with a High Proportion of Immigrants," the author describes the increasing use made of family planning in his practice in Bristol, England. "France's Portuguese Workers," by Marie-Claire Viguer is based on Statistics from the Ministry of Social Affairs and the National Immigration Office and on results of investigations made at Toulouse at the Sociology of Labor Center by French and Portuguese research workers.

The article illustrate contrasts and similarities in the general development of European and American sociology in recent times. A conspicuous difference in this respect is that in American Sociology has grown as a child nursed by the Universities and Colleges; while in Europe its modern start, since August Comte, and development have in a considerable degree taken place outside of the Universities and Colleges. Indeed a number of the founders of the principal modern sociological systems in Europe never occupied the position of a teacher in University at all. This difference also continues to exist at the present moment: although the number of Universities and Colleges in Europe where sociology has been introduced as a regular course has considerably increased since the time of the War and Revolutions; nevertheless this number is still much below that of the United States. Another difference lies in the character of the European and American sociologists. The bulk of the sociological works in America are marked by their quantitative and empirical character while the bulk of the sociological literature of Europe is still marked by an analytical elaboration of concepts and definitions; by a philosophical and epistemological polishing of words.

The story of man's occupation of the earth seems to be divided into two rather sharply marked periods the ancient and the modem world. It is not altogether a distinction of time; somewhat it is of space. For more than half of mankind is living in the ancient world today for all practical purposes. People of Europe and the Western Hemisphere and of certain islands of the Western seas are proud of our modernity. Perhaps the pride is based too heavily upon the modern machinery that people use so universally. The difference between the ancient world and the modern world, wherever those worlds may exist in time or space, is the difference of ideals upon which the two worlds are founded. The ancient world seems to have risen upon the theory that physical force is man's final arbiter, The modern world seems to be growing upon the faith that ideas rule that things of the spirit are unconquerable when they promote broader fellowships, more abundant living, more kindly pace in the works and ways of men.

The article focuses on marriage and the blood feud in heroic Europe. A stock dilemma found in the heroic literature of early medieval Europe was that of an innocent victim caught between conflicting loyalties. Thus, a wife enmeshed in a struggle or feud between her own family and that of her husband present an especially dramatic and popular example of such a dilemma. By looking at the role of women in the heroic society, it has been observed that the frequent occurrence of such tragic situations in the literature was not simply fortuitous. Rather the women frequently were placed, or chose to place themselves, in a situation which carried a strong likelihood of such a tragedy coming to pass. One of the prominent roles of a woman was, through her marriage that of acting as feud-healer or alliance-binder. This use of marriage either to heal an open blood feud or to create an alliance so as to prevent future feuds was an obvious and sensible policy. But, since the ironic ends of marriage frequently were unrealized, at least in the literature of the day, women became almost sacrificial victims to good but vain intentions. The composition of blood feuds by non-violent means is a major criterion in measuring the transition from a primitive to a more sophisticated society.

The article provides management science related news from Europe. L'Association Francaise d'Informatique et de Reserche Operationelle is developing a seminar on "l'Information Documentaire." An International Symposium on Mathematical & Computational Methods in Social Sciences will be held in Rome from July 4-8, 1966 under the auspices of the International Computation Centre in Rome. A seminar on Graph Theory will also follow the Symposium in Rome from July 8-12, 1966.