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The two papers in this report focus on some of the social, demographic, and economic consequences of the increasing entry of women into the workforce. Arthur Norton and Louisa Miller in "The Family Life Cycle: 1985" show trends in the frequency and timing of marriage, divorce, remarriage, and fertility across several generations of women. Martin O'Connell in "Maternity Leave Arrangements: 1961-85" presents research on factors associated with childbearing and labor force participation. Data from Norton and Miller's study show that younger cohorts of women had a tendency to marry later, begin childbearing later, and have fewer children. They also divorced more often and did so at a younger age than women in older cohorts. Despite within-cohort differences, members of the same birth cohort showed an overriding commonality with respect to basic patterns of life cycle change. O'Connell's study found that women most likely to work during their first pregnancy were relatively older, white, and at least high school graduates. Among women who did work during pregnancy, teenagers, black women, and high school dropouts were most likely to return to work within 6 months of their child's birth. Between the 1961-65 and 1976-80 periods, women most often quit their jobs during pregnancy; by 1981-85, almost one-half of all women received maternity benefits while only 28 percent reported quitting their jobs. (RH)

Splitting, a primitive defense mechanism of young children in confusing or ambivalent situations, in psychoanalytic theory is characteristic of those with borderline or narcissistic diagnoses. It may recur in adults negotiating co-parenting relationships following divorce and remarriage. Two types of splitting may occur: self-other in which the other is seen as different from the self; and object-object in which the other is seen as different from a different other (in this case the present and former spouse). To investigate a consistent pattern of devaluation of women by their former husbands, 63 divorced fathers, 39 in their first year and 24 in their third to fifth year of remarriage, were studied. Participants completed the Adjective Checklist four times, describing themselves, their spouse, their children's mother (former spouse) and their ideal self. Analysis of the husband's descriptions showed that in their negative evaluations of their ex-wives husbands tended to contrast the present and former spouse and not themselves and the former spouse. Several trait domains were starkly polarized in this splitting process especially interpersonal power, interpersonal expressiveness, and impulse control. Although there may be reality-based explanations for husbands' devaluations of their ex-spouse, splitting is a useful construct for understanding the intrapsychic mechanisms influencing these reactions. The data suggest the widespread use of splitting in a non-clinical population. (MCF)

Many states are adopting joint custody legislation to support continued relationships between children of parental divorce and both of their biological parents. This study examined the effects of joint versus maternal legal custody, whether or not the stepfather had biological children from a prior marriage, and the sex and age of an adolescent on the custodial mother's remarriage. Middle class remarried mothers (N=84) and their husbands each completed a questionnaire measuring marital satisfaction; competition between the father and stepfather; role ambiguity for the stepfather role; and the mother's relationship with her ex-spouse. The findings revealed that marital satisfaction was highest for couples with girls in joint custody. Mothers of early adolescent daughters reported better relations with ex-spouses than did mothers of later adolescent daughters; no difference was reported for sons. Stepfathers with no prior children reported more competition with the biological father than did stepfathers with biological children. Couples in joint custody arrangements with stepfathers who had no prior children reported the most role ambiguity. The results suggest that custody decisions made at the time of divorce can have an impact on subsequent remarriage, and that stepfamilies need help in creating roles for stepparents that complement biological parents' roles. (Author/NB)

This report uses longitudinal data to provide a dynamic picture of the family income experiences of children and the elderly. In contrast to the image of fairly stable incomes during most life-cycle stages, findings show substantial income volatility at all points in the life span, placing substantial numbers of the population at risk of suffering significant losses and, in the extreme, of falling into poverty. These risks were exceedingly high for black children, quite high for elderly women and lowest for men in their prime earning years. An examination of the events associated with this income volatility showed that divorce and unemployment of the household head were most significant for children, while retirement and widowhood were most important for the elderly. In contrast to the effects of divorce and widowhood, the adverse economic consequences of unemployment appeared to be short-lived in most cases. What emerges from the analysis is a picture of the economically vulnerable population distinguished not so much by age as by sex. Policy implications are discussed and a list of references is included as well as an appendix of definitions of events. (PS)

The hypothesis that children are placed at increased risk for adjustment problems when parents divorce and remarry was tested with a sample of 206 boys in the fourth grade. It was also hypothesized that the relation of parenting transitions and boys' adjustment would be mediated by family management practices. Subjects attended schools in neighborhoods with a relatively high incidence of juvenile delinquency. A child adjustment construct was calculated from seven constructs: antisocial behavior, drug sampling, peer rejection, deviant peer association, poor academic skills, poor self-esteem, and depression. This global adjustment construct was plotted for four groups of subjects: (1) two biological parents; (2) single mothers; (3) stepfather families; and (4) single mother and stepfather families. All other family types were excluded. Boys' adjustment was found to be related in a linear manner to the number of parental transitions. Boys in families who had experienced two or more transitions were at especially high risk for poor adjustment and later delinquency. The relation of child adjustment to parental transitions was partly accounted for by socioeconomic status and mediated by reduced parental monitoring. (RH)

This paper describes stepfamily life; much of its content is derived from responses of 29 Australian couples who attended a six-session educational program on living in a stepfamily and who completed pre- and post-tests on marital adjustment and self-esteem plus a weekly problem rating scale. While the major part of the study was concerned with the issues and problems confronting the parents and stepparents, this report focuses on the problems faced by children when their parents remarry. Discussions center on typical issues of stepfamily living, citing results from the study and describing components of the program which addressed those issues. Issues covered in the report include: (1) lessening of closeness between the child and his/her natural parent; (2) feelings of resentment; (3) sexuality; (4) step-sibling rivalry; (5) behavior and discipline; (6) access visits, or times the child spends with the noncustodial or joint custodial parent; and (7) anger and sadness that the child may experience. A summary section suggests ways that counselors and other practitioners can help individuals adjust to life in a stepfamily. (NB)

One goal of a longitudinal study of stepfamilies, divorced maternal custody families, and nondivorced families was to assess the response of children to the experiences associated with stepfamily formation and to identify factors that may buffer children against adverse life experiences or make them more vulnerable to negative outcomes. Children's adjustment was measured at three time periods over 2.5 years. Composite measures of externalizing, internalizing, and competence were created from reports of mothers, fathers, teachers, and children from interviews and 24-Hour Behavior Checklists, as well as from observational measures based on a composite of global rating scales. The results showed that boys from divorced families exhibited fewer problems over time, as they continued to adjust to life in a single-parent household, whereas girls in divorced families exhibited more problems over time. Boys in remarried families exhibited high levels of problematic behavior throughout the course of the study, while girls in remarried families showed some improvement. Levels of competent behavior were highest for children from nondivorced homes, and lowest for children from remarried homes. Girls were viewed as more competent than boys throughout this age range. Analyses were conducted to examine which factors attenuate or exacerbate problems in adaptation, with a focus on externalizing disorders. (NB)

One goal of a longitudinal study of stepfamilies, divorced maternal custody families, and nondivorced families was to assess the quality and functioning of the sibling relationship and to determine the conditions under which sibling relationships become more cohesive or more competitive during family transitions. Relationships between the target child, who was between 9 and 13 years of age at the beginning of the 2.5 year study, and a target sibling within 5 years of the target child's age were assessed through interviews with the mother, father, and target child using an expanded version of Schaefer and Edgerton's Sibling Inventory of Behavior, and through behavioral observation of the sibling pair in a play situation, a family problem-solving situation, and at the dinner table. The results revealed that, at least according to family members, boys in remarried families exhibited far more negative behavior and offered much less support to their siblings than any other group. Girls in remarried families did not appear to differ from girls in other family groups, and may have even offered increased support to their siblings over the course of the first year of adjustment to remarriage. Over time, observed interactions of siblings took on a more negative quality for children in remarried families. Some of these changes may have been reflective of developmental change in sibling relations as the children entered adolescence. (NB)

One goal of a longitudinal study of stepfamilies, divorced maternal custody families, and nondivorced families was to assess similarities and differences between family members' interactions at the dyadic and triadic levels across time. Observers' ratings of videotaped spouse-to-spouse, parent-to-child, and child-to-parent behaviors during both dyadic and triadic problem-solving settings were obtained at three waves of data collection. The results revealed that, compared to mothers in nondivorced families, remarried mothers were significantly less positive, more negative, and less controlling in dyadic mother-child interactions even after 26 months of remarriage. In contrast, children of remarried mothers closely resembled children in nondivorced families in their behaviors toward their mothers. Data on the stepfather-stepchild relationship showed little evidence that the stepfather adopted a more active and positive parental role over time. The positive and negative behaviors of stepfathers and stepchildren paralleled each other at all three waves of data collection. The hypothesis that interactions between nondivorced family members would be moe consistent than would interactions between remarried family members was partially supported. Children in newly forming stepfamilies experienced greater inconsistencies than did children in nondivorced families. Inconsistencies observed may be an index of continued role ambiguity even 2.5 years after remarriage. (NB)

This report presents data on the timing of first sexual intercourse in relation to first marriage, and the timing of marital dissolution and remarriage among ever-married women in the United States. The findings in this report are based on preliminary data from the National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle III, a survey conducted periodically on topics related to childbearing, contraceptive practice, and related aspects of maternal and child health. In Cycle III, conducted in 1982, interviews were completed with a probability sample of 7,969 women 15 to 44 years of age in the noninstitutional population of the conterminous United States. Sections are included on: (1) the timing of first sexual intercourse in relation to marriage; (2) dissolution of first marriage; (3) remarriage; and (4) related sources of data. Technical notes discuss the survey design, reliability of estimates, and definitions of terms. Three data tables, one figure, and 11 references are included. (NB)

Research on the transition to remarriage and stepfamily formation has focused upon sociodemographic factors, the relationship between remarriage and the well-being of individual family members, and stepfamily integration. This study examined recently remarried mothers' perceptions of stepgrandmothers' and grandmothers' role behaviors, role meanings, and grandmothering styles with their grandchildren and stepgrandchildren. Subjects (N=62) were women in remarried families. From the sample of 62 mothers, perceptions of 248 grandmother/grandchild and stepgrandmother/stepgrandchild relationships were examined. Mothers' perceptions of stepgrandmothers' and grandmothers' relationships with stepgrandchildren and grandchildren were assessed using a questionnaire based on Robertson's study of grandmother/grandchild relations. The results provided considerable support for the hypotheses that higher levels of role behaviors and role meaning would be perceived in grandmother/grandchild relations than in stepgrandmother/stepgrandchild relations. Mothers perceived differences in relationships with stepgrandchildren and grandchildren during the early years of stepfamily life. (ABL)

There is growing consensus about the negative effects of parental divorce and remarriage on children's academic achievement. Children of divorce from reconstituted families score the same or lower than those from single-parent families. Educators must not assume that remarriage benefits children or that single-parent homes are problematic. (47 references) (MLH)

There are measures that parents can take to help their children through the often distressing process of parental divorce. Describes the empirical literature regarding issues and factors relevant to children's adjustment to divorce. Provides practical guidelines and suggestions likely to help parents enhance their children's adjustment. (Author/MKA)

Self-disclosure and marital satisfaction were studied among 125 males and females who were in their first remarriage. Essentially equal numbers had remarried in midlife (ages 30-45) and late life (ages 60-75). Employed the multidimensional Wheeless self-disclosure scales and Locke-Wallace measure of marital satisfaction. Discusses findings. (KW)

Analyzes a 1986 national survey (n=2,081) to examine differences in psychological and economic distress between remarried and divorced persons, and if economic distress differences explain differences in psychological distress between married and divorced persons. Findings show that remarried persons have significantly lower rates of economic and psychological distress. (Author)

Found an excess mortality, especially among women, among people who are remarried and cohabiting. A narrower than expected gender mortality difference existed when work status and number of children were taken into consideration. Unemployed women, as well as unskilled male workers, were in particularly vulnerable situations at divorce. (RJM)

Examines how family resources and demographic variables relate to adolescent family life satisfaction in remarried family households. Self-report questionnaire data were collected from 95 high school students in remarried families. Showed that flexibility, regularity in household time and routines, and effectiveness in parent communication were significantly related to overall adolescent satisfaction in remarried family households. (Author)

Investigates normative beliefs regarding financial obligations of parents towards children after divorce and remarriage. Subjects were 234 women and 114 men. Subject responses showed that factor determinants for which parent should pay include financial ability, sharing a household residence, and custody arrangement. Discusses implications for social policy. (Author/SR)

Studied families formed by divorced parents who remarried. Describes the features, the fragility of social and legal status, difficulties in establishing family links, and the role of a newborn child in such families. (BC)

Discusses the importance of understanding the presenting problem of a stepfamily seeking counseling. Notes that proper assessment includes an understanding of family structure and context, parent- and stepparent-child relationships, and nonresidential parent-child relationships. Includes case study and the use of genograms to depict complex stepfamily structures. (KW)

Of marriages in 1972, fewer joint remarriages than first marriages ended in divorce. Within specific age/sex groupings (e.g., men 20 to 24 years old), more remarriages than first marriages ended in divorce. Difference occurred because couples entering remarriages were older than those entering first marriages and divorce rates declined with additional age at marriage. (Author/NB)

Whether family processes that predict positive and negative developmental outcomes are the same in intact families and remarried families was studied through surveys administered to 758 10th graders from families with stepfathers. In this sample, family dissolution and reconstitution does not affect parenting styles with regard to permissiveness and democratic decision making. (SLD)

Used data on 3,625 respondents from National Survey of Families and Households to examine long-term consequences of childhood family structure for adult relationships with parents and siblings. Found that divorced single-parent families were associated with reduced solidarity between parents and children. Custodial mothers' remarriages were associated with more parent-child solidarity than single-mother families. (Author/NB)

Describes family change counseling group conducted at one junior high school with seven junior high school students, each of whom had experienced at least three different parental marriages. Describes the 11 group sessions and identifies emergent themes during sessions which revolved around family transitions. (NB)