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This article examines the role of family structure in the self-reported lifetime and past month use of marijuana within a sample of American children. The research makes comparisons between youths living in two parent homes where both the biological father and mother are present and those who live in single parent, stepparent, or nonparent families. The results show that youths living in two parent families are far less likely to report ever having used marijuana, associate with marijuana using friends, or have siblings who use marijuana. Youths from two parent families, even those typified by high levels of tension in the household, are shown to report less use of marijuana than youths from low or high conflict homes where one or both of the biological parents are absent. The findings are similar for both males and females. Implications of the results as well as directions for future research are presented.

Examines the influence of parental status characteristics on status aspirations of young adults (N=738) who completed questionnaires. Results showed that objective status characteristics are less important than the youths' own subjective definitions of status of parents and that mothers' characteristics are more important than those of fathers. (BH)

University women who rejected stereotyped traditional expectations for females had poor childhood relationships with their fathers, while women who endorsed the expectations had good paternal relationships. This was especially true among those of lower socioeconomic status. No similar effect was found when childhood relationships with mothers were considered. (Author/GC)

Examines the degree to which attitudes of youth diverge substantially from those they impute to their parents and converge with those they impute to their friends. Factors influencing attitudes and behaviors; Influence of peer culture to the development of attitudes and behavior of an adolescent; Relationship between age and financial emancipation to behavior.

Focuses on a study which examined the cohort effect in the link between attitudes and behavior. Approaches to the study of behavior; Definition of attitudes; Importance of cohort effect.

Longitudinal data were used to estimate the extent to which changes in life situations affected sex role traditionalism of women during a five-year period. An overall decrease in traditionalism was found, which was more pronounced for younger women. Multiple regression analysis indicated that experiences such as becoming married, having a child, and becoming employed were associated with lessened traditionalism. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the existence of theoretical statements to the effect that status dependents directly derive their own status from the adult male head of the household, there is little systematic research in support. Survey data from university students is made homogeneous on several dimensions and then subjected to regression analyses predicting the self-placement of these youths using status indicators of both mother and father. Among the findings are that the objective indicators are of little importance, that subjective definition of mothers is more important than that of fathers in one's self-placement, and that there are sex-specific effects. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents the review process in the November 1979 issue of the journal "Contemporary Sociology." It helped both to focus some of the frustration as well as to direct efforts to assist in reforming the process. Whether original articles or comments, it is clearly out of order to solicit resubmission and then change or increase the number of reviewers. Reviewers and editors have not only the task of maintaining quality, but of assisting in the process of developing promising ideas into high quality articles. To deny authors the benefit of the suggestions of the full complement of reviewers to be used for an article or comment from the outset is clearly unreasonable and nonproductive. Thus, review by leading experts holds a promise that the highest possible standards for the discipline will be exercised. Currently, except for the expectations of anonymous review, only the editors and other "insiders" know how the review process operates in detail. The comments of the former editors being strictly anecdotal, raise a question of how thoroughly they themselves are aware of the review process.