An ongoing question remains for family researchers: Why does a positive association between cohabitation and marital dissolution exist when one of the primary reasons to cohabit is to test relationship compatibility? Drawing on recently collected data from the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth, the authors examined whether premarital…

The relative numbers of women and men are changing dramatically in China, but the consequences of these imbalanced sex ratios have received little empirical attention. We merge data from the Chinese Health and Family Life Survey with community-level data from Chinese censuses to examine the relationship between cohort- and community-specific sex…

This paper examines how marital and fertility patterns have changed along racial and educational lines for men and women. Historically, women with more education have been the least likely to marry and have children, but this marriage gap has eroded as the returns to marriage have changed. Marriage and remarriage rates have risen for women with a…

This study uses data from married women in 30 nations to examine justice processes involving perceptions of fairness of the division of household labor and satisfaction with family life. Relative deprivation theory suggests that national context--operationalized here as nation-level gender equity--might serve as a comparative referent used by…

Little is known about the spousal support received by married executive women and the support behaviors that they value. This article details the results of a qualitative study of 20 senior and executive-level women, with the aim of understanding their received and valued spousal support. An inductive typology was developed through semistructured…

Combined life course perspective with life history interviewing to compare 15 lifelong unmarried, childless women and 15 ever-married mothers from the 1910 birth cohort. Results suggest that linear progression from family of origin to family of procreation reveals one stream in family life course; experiences of lifelong single women revealed…

The objective of this paper is to investigate the consequences of early, on time, and late marriage in the lives of white women who are members of an historically significant cohort (birthdates 1925-29) in the 1970 National Fertility Study. (Author)

Data from recent study of dual profession couples on the woman's desire for an egalitarian family, her career orientation, and her perception of discrimination are used to support the "tolerance of domestication" thesis. (Author)

Encourages husband and wife soul-searching to recognize importance of wife's continuing education. Discusses effect on marriage if wife does not keep up educationally with spouse. Portion of address by former president National Association of Women Deans and Counselors, at annual convention, Atlanta, 1969. (CJ)

Sources of marital power are examined and are found to affect the power distribution. Data points to the conclusion that the differences in marital power are not due to individual resources or personal competence of the partners, but to the discrimination against women in the larger society. (Author)

Consequences of singlehood are analyzed for never-married persons. Highly-educated older women are most likely to remain single. Family background is not a predictor. Although the never-married find life more exciting than other marital statuses among younger respondents, this reverses in later life. Never-marrieds are also less happy than the…

A public opinion survey of 1,750 U.S. adults provided data on men's and women's criticism of gender inequality at home and work. Controlling for age (negatively related to home criticism), education (positively related to home and work criticism), and several social class factors, home criticism was negatively related to parenthood for men and to…

Used data from the National Child Development Study of Great Britain to examine the sex education lessons reported at age 16 and subjects' report of teenage motherhood at age 23. Results showed that sex education may be associated with teenage motherhood positively or negatively, depending on the topic and the individual's marital status when she…

During the past century the U.S. family system has seen vast changes--in marriage and divorce rates, cohabitation, childbearing, sexual behavior, and women's work outside the home. Andrew Cherlin reviews these historic changes, noting that marriage remains the most common living arrangement for raising children, but that children, especially poor…

The professional and personal characteristics of individuals who held the top elected leadership positions in local chapters of Phi Delta Kappa during 1979-80 were surveyed. In addition, the relationships between sex, marital status, age, level of educational degree, level of employment, type of employment, and scholarly and professional…