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The increasing number of families in which both partners work has focused attention on the relationship between work and family environments, and the consequences when employers and employees attempt to balance work and family responsibilities. This qualitative study explored whether the connections between family and work life were identified as concerns by employers and how they responded to associated issues. Human resource and personnel managers (N=53) from 40 companies were questioned in semi-structured interviews to explore how the corporate response to work and family issues was influenced by the corporate ethos. Corporate values, on the whole, were still based on the premise that work and family lives were separate worlds. The corporate world explored in this survey was still largely a traditional man's domain and standards of work behavior and career advancement were basically shaped by the assumption that there was someone else to take care of all family and non-work responsibilities. Reluctance on the part of employers to initiate or expand family-oriented policies stemmed from several sources. One was confusion about who should be responsible for the consequences of changes in the social and economic forces affecting the workplace and workers. Another was entrenched beliefs about the roles of men and women and the economics of running a company. Implications of the study are discussed, and the questionnaire is included in an appendix. (LLL)

This monograph presents an evaluation of Stage One of Australia's proposed Child Support Scheme, designed to collect money owing following a court order or approved agreement for the payment of child support. Chapter 1 summarizes the major characteristics of the Child Support Scheme and the background, features, and findings of both phases of the evaluation. Chapter 2 provides summary information on data provided as of December 1990. At that date, the Child Support Agency had recorded a total of 85,226 child and/or spousal maintenance registrations. Chapter 3 examines the experiences and circumstances of most custodial parents, and looks at changes which have taken place to the Stage One population. Chapter 4 focuses on the experiences of custodial parents registered with the Child Support Agency in mid-1990. The impact of registration on parents and the parent-child relationship are discussed. Chapter 5 reports the experiences of non-custodial parents whose former partners had registered their maintenance orders or court-approved agreements with the Child Support Agency. The capacity and willingness of these parents to pay the amounts due and to pay through the Agency in prescribed manners and times is addressed. Chapter 6 discusses custodians who have chosen to opt out of the child support scheme. Chapter 7 examines the role of employers in the Child Support Scheme. Chapter 8 summarizes the monograph and discusses reform trends. Research methodology is described. (LLL)

This discussion paper describes the characteristics and life styles of single adults in Australia. Recent changes in sociological theory concerning marriage, family life, and single life are noted in the introduction, followed by a description of historical and demographic trends. Different categories of single adults (i.e., never married, widowed, permanently separated, divorced, and single parents), and types of single adult interpersonal relationships (i.e., free floating, open couple, closed couple, and de facto marriage), are described. The concept of the singles career is looked at in terms of these relationships and in adult accommodation to the single state. Positive and negative factors influencing adults' decision to remain single are noted, and negative stereotypes of singles and problematic aspects of being single are examined. Factors influencing future marital trends are highlighted. A 46-item bibliography is included in the paper. (WAS)

Counselors should begin to think not only of the needs of children involved in the process of their parents' divorce, but of an approach to marriage counseling as a whole. Children participate in the context of divorce as family members in the social interaction that makes a family work or not work; there are, therefore, various stages or points of intervention for counseling children through divorce. Yet research data show that children often are not included in divorce counseling; the fact that marital breakdown occurs in the family system of which childen are an active part, is most often ignored. Research on childrens' roles in family interaction and marital satisfaction from birth onward has shown that children are included in their parents' affairs and must be allowed to preserve those blood ties or at least to understand why their parents decided to sever the marriage bond that produced them. The Australian Family Law Act addressed this right of children in two ways: by specifically stating that the wishes of the child must be considered, as appropriate in the circumstances of the case, and by allowing separate representation of the child. Since 1976, the Family Law Act has provided a court counseling service which is directed toward the well-being of children and the elimination of court hearings. The Family Court has tried to recognize an active and valid role for the children of divorce. The challenge to marriage counselors is clear - children must be involved. Perhaps family counseling should be the name of the game. (MCF)

This paper presents data and discussions based on two Australian studies of the possible educational problems suffered by children from one-parent homes. The first section describes anticipated problem areas for these children, i.e., financial burden, health problems, change in life style, and the emotional effects of disruption. Data from other countries are reviewed and demographic tables for Australia are given. The second section presents teachers' responses from the two studies, including illustrative quotes, concerning the one-parent child's educational performance, aspirations and emotional stability. The paper notes that while most teachers viewed one-parent children as the same as two-parent children in these areas, a significant minority saw them as worse. The third section describes more fully the differences that teachers perceived between these groups of children. The fourth section reports data on the one-parent family and single-parent views on such issues as child-school relationship, parent-child relationship, and labeling. The concluding section reports ongoing concerns highlighted by the two studies. A bibliography is included. (WAS)

This working paper discusses the effects of recent legislative changes regarding divorce in Australia. The introduction describes the 1975 Family Law Act and gives a summary of its principles. The second section presents background information to the Act and lists the philosophical principles behind its formation. The third section describes changes in the divorce rate since 1975; statistical tables are provided. The fourth section discusses the current Family Court system, grounds for divorce, maintainance and property proceedings (including a list of factors which the court must consider for these proceedings), and child custody and access issues (including descriptions of the two major possible outcomes, i.e., parents are given joint custody, or one parent is awarded custody with access to the other parent reserved). The fifth section considers the effects of divorce on children, and the last section briefly reviews several issues related to divorce in Australia which are currently the subject of debate. A bibliography is included. (WAS)

In the past decade the amount of legislation and litigation involving informal marriages has increased. Historically, a close connection between marriage and property law has existed. However, children today are less important for property inheritance purposes because informal marriages have increased in popularity and are accepted among diverse social groups. The Family Law Act in Australia permits divorce on grounds of irretrievable breakdown and also prescribes the rights and obligations of marriage partners. Any relationship outside of marriage, however, must be legislated at the state level. In Australia the legal reaction to informal marriages has been sporadic, inconsistent and contradictory, although a body of case and statute law covers aspects of unmarried cohabitation. This trend is also evident in countries with similar legal systems. (RC)

In Australia, the institutions of marriage and family are changing as reflected by the statistics on separation, divorce, and remarriage. Recent figures reveal an increase in divorce in the earlier years of marriage as well as a dramatic increase in the number of remarriages occuring across all age groups. Under the Family Law Act the government provides funding for marriage counseling organizations. Most of the centers operated by these organizations rely on trained lay counselor volunteers supervised by professionals. Approximately 74% of the Australian population has access to approved agencies. Less formal sources of counseling include friends, physicians, social workers, nurses, and lawyers. The average client is an Australian-born urban couple who have been married less than 10 years with no more than two children. Their presenting problems include lack of communication, sexual dissatisfaction, and disenchanted wife issues. Assessing the effects of various therapeutic intervention techniques is still problematic and enormous gaps of data exist on many aspects of marriage counseling in Australia. (RC)

Exploratory in nature because of its small foreign-born sample, this working paper represents a first step in efforts by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (IFS) to examine the role of the family among the major immigrant groups in Australia. Comparisons are made between foreign-born and Australian-born families based on data collected in the 1981-1982 IFS survey concerning household structure, family background, marriage and fertility patterns, attitudes and decisions. Findings are complex. In some areas of family formation a number of foreign-born groups differed from the Australian-born; in other areas one foreign-born group contrasted not only with the Australian-born but also with the other foreign-born groups; in yet other areas there were strong similarities among all groups. After a discussion of methodology in chapter 1, chapters 2 and 3 describe the Australian Family Formation Project (AFF) survey data, the scope of the analysis, the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, and their household composition and family history. Chapters 4 to 9 present findings on family formation patterns, attitudes, and intentions. The report concludes with an assessment of the main findings of the analysis, the effectiveness of the AFF Project survey questionnaire, and recommendations for the structuring of future surveys. (RH)

This third annual report presents the broad findings of studies attempting to provide a comprehensive description of the nature of families in Australia today and seeking to identify and analyze the many factors affecting their well-being. Studies that have not yet reached completion are also described. Specifically, six chapters cover (1) a reanalysis of census figures to provide data on changes in family composition; (2) studies and analyses of court and registry data to provide information on legal procedure related to families (the long term adjustment of mothers relinquishing their children for adoption and divorce issues such as property division, alimony, and maintenance and custody of children); (3) studies and census data on family economic issues (the cost of children, family income and housing, and the impact on families of the Australian tax transfer system); (4) studies of family support networks, including children's and marriage support services; (5) studies on family processes (children in two-parent and one-parent homes, children's reactions to divorce or the loss of a parent, and changes in marital relationships over time); and (6) the staffing and administration of the Institute of Family Studies. (CB)

The Institute of Family Studies has completed its fourth year of operation, and government and public demand for input from the Institute is growing beyond its capacity. This report focuses on current operating difficulties as well as on the structure and activities of the Institute. The first section, entitled "Structure and Operations," discusses the enabling legislation; responsible minister; powers, functions, and objectives; board of management and staff; and financial statement. The second section, "Activities and Reports," describes efforts toward community education (information services, family database development, public seminars, staff talks and publications, and Institute publications); coordination of family research in Australia; current research efforts; and advice and evaluation provided for the development of government policy. The last section, "Operational Difficulties," discusses administrative and research problems, the importance of considering impact on families when making government policy, the Institute's statutory independence, redefinitions of the role and functions of the Institute, and proposed amendments to the current enabling legislation. (CB)

This report estimates costs of feeding and clothing Australian children at a basic survival level. Detailed information is provided on the types of costs incurred by families at different income levels and with children of different ages. After a brief introduction characterizing the study and summarizing findings, discussion focuses on the history of the Australian government's intervention in alleviating family poverty. Such intervention is subsequently reviewed in relationship to falling birth rates, a changed attitude to children, and an extension of the dependency of young people. Legislation in Australia related to the cost of childrearing is also briefly discussed. Subsequently, the methodological approach of the study is described, and a comparison is made of Australian costs with those of the United Kingdom and the United States. Specifically contrasted are costs for food, clothing, and other items, including costs of household articles, lighting, heating, schooling, entertainment, and holidays. Concluding remarks recommend caution in using the cost figures, delineating some of the calculations' deficiencies. Directions for future research are indicated. Appendices I through III present a minimum diet for preschool-age children, a low cost menu for two adults and two young children, and "costed" food plans for 2-, ,5-, 8-, 11-, and 15-year-olds. Appendix IV discusses budgetary and survey approaches to research on costs of childrearing. (RH)

The paper presents data about applying the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale (CSCS) to an Australian population. Data were obtained from 402 randomly selected male and female, primary and secondary school students, representing all school systems (195 from Grades 3 and 4, 207 from Grades 10 and 11). Anaylsis conducted on the two age groups generally support CSCS use. The CSCS was reliable (in terms of internal consistency) for all the sub-scales (behavior, intellectual and school status, physical appearance and attributes, anxiety, popularity, and happiness and satisfaction). Some evidence in the form of parent ratings of children's characteristics exists for scale validity as well. Factor analysis of the sub-scale scores of primary school student responses indicated that the items clustered differently. Scale reliabilities for the six sub-scales were considerably lower than for the CSCS as a whole. Findings suggest that the CSCS may be more unidimensional than previously believed because (1) a screen test indicated that less than six factors exist in the data, (2) the six sub-scales were highly intercorrelated and produced a single factor solution when factor analysis was conducted, (3) most of the factors appeared to be contaminated by response set bias, and (4) a correlational analysis revealed that the six sub-scales had highly similar correlations with a number of similar variables. The paper recommends that analysis conducted with the CSCS be based primarily on the total scale score and that caution be exercised in the interpretation of sub-scale scores. (AS)

Since 1947, some 3.5 million migrants have entered Australia, giving birth to 2.2 million children. Whereas, in 1947 only 9.8% of Australia's populace were of overseas birth and less than 3% were of non-Anglo Saxon origin, by 1976, some 20% were of overseas birth, some 39% had been born overseas or had a parent born overseas, and some 25% had been either born overseas in a non-British country or had a parent born in such a country. Factors influencing the family formation of non-Anglo Saxon migrants were the Australian economy's structure and the migrant's role in the economy; the family reunion policies of all post war Australian governments; and the interfamilial conflicts between generations over social mores, values, and priorities concerning the preservation of traditional ethnic identity. Briefly reviewing the history of post war migration and the present-day socioeconomic context, this paper provides data on the occupational distribution of male migrants; migrant women in the workforce; non-English speaking workers; migrant unemployment; age, sex, marital status (divorce, separations, and first and second generation intermarriages), and family size of migrants; migration policies and family reunions; settlement and integration; loss of extended family networks; problems of intergenerational conflict; and effects of the Australian economy's structure. (NQA)

This paper gives a brief overview of the changing relationship between school and family in Australia. Discussion first concerns major changes that have occurred in Australian families, particularly in the period since World War II. Next explored are the many forms of school and family relationships. These range from informal get-togethers to the formal requirement that parents should have a part in the decision-making processes of schools. A distinction is made between parent participation (in which parents have the right to make decisions regarding the education of their children in partnership with professionals) and parent involvement (in which parents' and teachers' mutual interests in children are interwoven, but there is less concern with power and rights). In subsequent commentary, attention is given to the situation in Victoria, Australia--a state in the process of legislating for closer working relationships between parents and schools through local school councils. Objections to parent participation in the decision-making process and beneficial results of such participation are both specifically discussed. Concluding remarks concern the new role of teachers and schools in communities with active parent participation; in particular, these new roles are discussed in terms of teacher training and liaison with social services and in terms of relationships with children whose parents prefer old patterns of involvement. (CB)

In reviewing the literature related to education for family life, this discussion focuses on three main areas: the need for such education, trends in the development of family life education programs, and the results of evaluations of a wide range of programs. Evidence was found concerning (1) the key role families play in their members' well-being, and (2) increasing pressures on families. Changes in the practice of family education over the last 15 years are pointed out. Specifically, it is argued that the growth of family systems theory, research into the characteristics of healthy or coping families, and the development of experiential education have influenced the development of programs. Evaluation is seen as essential for identifying characteristics of effective and acceptable programs, protecting clients, improving practice, informing the community of the effectiveness of various programs, and supporting calls for funding. Difficulties in evaluation and the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches are reviewed. Almost 60 published evaluations of family life education programs were found; the evaluations of many programs being developed show them to be effective. In conclusion, some clues to the relative effectiveness of different approaches are identified, some tentative guidelines for the further development of programs are proposed, and areas needing further research are indicated. (RH)

The purpose of this paper is to examine the connection between work and family functioning in Australia by critically reviewing relevant literature, especially literature concerning empirical research. Special attention is given to Australian literature and data. However, where local material is lacking, information from overseas (frequently American) is used to extrapolate cautiously to the Australian situation. Because of the broad nature of the subject, the review of literature is not comprehensive in all aspects of work and family functioning; however, where data are incomplete, recommendations for research are proposed. Sections of the paper focus on (1) income in relationship to work force participation and children's life chances; (2) the impact of fathers' and mothers' paid work on the functioning of children and on the allocation of household tasks; (3) social-psychological and economic impact of unemployment on individuals and families; (4) hours of work, including part-time work, outwork and casual work, flexitime, and shiftwork; (5) industrial health; (6) child care; and (7) leisure. (RH)

A study was made to obtain a broad overview of the operation of maternity leave in Australia from the perspectives of employees and employers. The study included: (1) an employee survey exploring the use and non-use of maternity leave and identifying determinants of taking maternity leave and of retaining women in the labor force after childbirth; (2) a private sector employer survey investigating the taking of maternity leave in different industries and businesses of various sizes, and identifying advantages and disadvantages of maternity leave for private sector employers; and (3) a smaller study of use of maternity leave in the public sector. A total of 2012 Australian women who had given birth during the last week of May, 1984 were surveyed 18 months after the birth. Of these women, 921 were employed during their pregnancy. Numerous findings are discussed. Although maternity leave was found to be common in the public sector, it was used by a minority in the private sector and was a rarity in organizations with less than 100 employees. Several issues regarding the adequacy of maternity leave provisions in Australia were identified. These issues warrant consideration from government, unions, and employers. Thirty-seven tables and 12 figures, as well as several black and white photographs are included, and attitude scales and questionnaires are appended. (RH)

The Institute of Family Studies has completed its fifth year of operation; its future development depends on a clear statement of government support backed by sufficient staff and financial resources. This report focuses on current operating difficulties, structure, and achievements and activities of the Institute during the 1984-85 fiscal year. The first section, entitled "Facing the Future," discusses budget restrictions and reviews the Institute's role and functions. The second section, "Structure and Functions," identifies the membership and staff and reports the financial statement for 1980-81 through 1984-85. The third and longest section, "Operations," discusses social structure and family process, family law, the Children in Families Project, family support projects, family policies, and research development. The last section, "Information Collection and Dissemination," reviews the Institute's information and reference services, Family Database, publications program, media coverage, and staff lectures and publications. (DST)

A national, retrospective cross-sectional study of 213 Australian women who relinquished a first child for adoption when they were young and single found that the effects of relinquishment on the mother are negative and longlasting. Relinquishing a child for adoption was viewed as a stressful life-event involving loss. Analyses of data obtained from volunteers through questionnaires and interviews indicated that (1) approximately half the women reported an increasing sense of loss over periods of up to 30 years, with sense of loss being worse at particular times, such as birthdays and Mothers' Day; (2) for the sample as a whole, this sense of loss remained constant for up to 30 years; (3) relinquishing mothers, as compared with a carefully matched comparison group, had significantly more problems of psychological adjustment; (4) major factors contributing to poor adjustment were lack of opportunities to talk through feelings, lack of social support, and continuing sense of loss; (5) outcomes of relinquishment were fairly normally distributed; and (6) relinquishing mothers indicated that their sense of loss and problems of adjustment would be eased by knowledge about what had happened to the child they gave up for adoption. (The survey instrument used in the study, The Questionnaire for Relinquishing Mothers, is appended.) (RH)

Marriage and the family traditionally have been structured around the key functions of the nurturing and socialization of children. This report looks closely at how effectively and competently various family types manage these tasks. Containing a brief overview of the "Australian Children in Families Study," this report concentrates on the child's view of family life, on how he or she uses the family as a resource and a base from which to control the environment. Past research on children and their families has frequently been more concerned with parents' views than with the views of children, who were seen as too difficult to talk with, too immature, and too easily upset to make worthwhile contributions to knowledge in this area. This report bypasses these research limitations through development of interview testing questions that use the "children's language" rather than adult researchers' terminology. The report highlights the importance of both parents to every child's well-being. Following a detailed explanation of the research methodology and a summary of the main findings, actual narratives from children and compilations of findings in each of the following areas are described: how children see their parents, how children feel when their parents separate or divorce, how children feel about "access" parents (separated or divorced parents who have visiting arrangements), children's relationships within the family, family changes, how families are organized, family conflict and family cohesion, children's friendships, juvenile delinquency, children's outside interests, children's views on school, television viewing habits, and job expectations. (DST)