Considers the question of family policy in terms of "conventional-progressive" interest group perspectives. The conventional perspective is that "family problems" are the result of "breakdown" and can be resolved by reestablishing the status quo ante. Progressive advocates argue that changes in citizens'…

Explores a structural exchange theory of marital interaction. Discusses importance of considering structural and temporal dimensions involved in marital exchange. Suggests examining the influence of the social structure on the cognitive orientations of marital partners and the subsequent exchange relationship. Examines how trust and commitment…

Reports recent research on family violence in eight articles. Deals with issues in wife abuse such as why women leave violent relationships and wife abuse programs. Discusses child abuse, its relationship to maternal employment and maturity, and child stealing. Analyzes the current state of knowledge and research. (JAC)

Summarizes the main theoretical frameworks attempting to explain the causal mechanisms connecting marital conflict to child adjustment. Outlines the implications of accumulated gender-related research findings for each theoretical framework. Argues that gender may be a moderator of many of the mechanisms outlined in existing theoretical frameworks…

In spite of some initial disappointments, the large number of publications and government services devoted to prevention suggests that preventive mental health has established its place in the mental health delivery system. Prevention is broadly defined as an attempt to reduce the prevalence of a disorder. Traditionally, prevention has been…

Marriages, just like the individuals in them, go through stages of development. Understanding these relatively predictable stages can be helpful to couples, by allaying apprehension, promoting preparation for change, and putting fluctuations into perspective. Research on marital stages and experiences in counseling couples suggest that marriages…

Recent studies have investigated the transition of relationships from a more intimate to a less intimate state--the depenetration process. Various phases of interpersonal conflict in the dissolution of marital dyads have been described, and factors indicating that a marriage might be "in trouble" have been identified. Processes that are…

This essay on marriage and family therapy begins with background information on the institutions of marriage and the family, including religious and social forces, and the effects of the industrial revolution on American society. The impact of the two world wars on the social, political, economic, and psychological climate of the United States is…

New studies demonstrate that many teen marriages are more resilient than had previously been believed; current policies promote single parenthood for teen mothers in the face of very little systemic information about young fathers and their potential for being providers, husbands, or parents. Marriage is a feasible option for many pregnant…

Discusses the impact of graduate education on marital and family relations, and finances. Concludes that the graduate school experience produces familial stress and is potentially destructive to family life, especially for married female students, and suggests the need for college student personnel intervention and research. (Author)

Reviews research relating to various aspects of bibliotherapy, including academic achievement, assertiveness, attitude change, behavioral change, fear reduction, helper effectiveness, marital accord, self-development, and therapeutic gains. Discusses implications for using bibliotherapy as an adjunct to counseling. (RC)

Reviews the past decade's literature on woman battering so as to summarize selected works that may offer the greatest assistance to activists, practitioners, and researchers. Covers theoretical viewpoints, battered women and the medical field, law enforcement, the legal system, homicide, marital rape, child custody, popular myths, and stereotypes.…

Proposes a theoretical framework of sibling conflict that includes temperamental characteristics of the siblings, the parent-sibling relationship, and the interaction between these factors. Continuing research validates this framework. (BJV)

This paper provides an overview of family experience in the United States by examining three dimensions: (1) childhood family experience, including the experiences of one-parent and step-parent families, and age at homeleaving; (2) marriage and childbearing including nonmarital childbearing, cohabitation, marriage, home ownership, and marital…

The national divorce rate has risen since the Civil War from less than two per 1,000 to one of every two married in 1976, with a continuing increase likely. Implications for divorced people suggest an increase in mental and physical illness concurrent with increase in stress. The impact appears to diminish with time. Divorce is a legal, emotional…