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Showing papers in "Journal of Family Issues in 2009"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Although they find strong involvement of grandparents in their grandchildren's care across all countries, the authors also identify significant variations in the prevalence and intensity of care along the geographic lines of different child care and (maternal or female) employment regimes in Europe.
Abstract: Introducing findings from the 2004 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), this research complements the large number of recent U.S. studies on the role of grandparents in caring for their grandchildren. For 10 continental European countries, we investigate cross-national variations in grandparent provided child care as well as differences in characteristics of the providers and recipients of care. While we find a strong involvement of grandparents in their grandchildren’s care across all countries, we also identify significant variations in the prevalence and intensity of care along the geographic lines of different child care and (maternal/female) employment regimes in Europe. Rooted in long-standing family cultures, the observed patterns suggest a complex interaction between welfare-state provided services and intergenerational family support in shaping the work-family nexus for younger parents. We conclude with a brief discussion of possible consequences of grandmothers’ increasing labor force participation for child care arrangements.

515 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the theoretical and practical tensions between society's view of idealized mothering and academia's vision of graduate students as idealized workers are discussed. But very little is known about what, if any, services are available for graduate student parents.
Abstract: Work—family issues of graduate students are nearly invisible, despite record numbers of men and women in graduate school during their peak childbearing years. Furthermore, very little is known about what, if any, services are available for graduate student parents. In this article we describe the theoretical and practical tensions between society's view of idealized mothering and academia's vision of graduate students as idealized workers. We then present results of a survey about parental supports for graduate students administered to graduate directors of sociology PhD programs. The results demonstrate that few official policies exist, most situations are accommodated individually, and graduate directors are often unaware of university services for graduate student parents. The article concludes with a detailed presentation of potential departmental and university initiatives designed to support graduate student parents. These initiatives can be readily incorporated by graduate departments and universit...

128 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The degree to which individuals report cohabiting to test their relationships is associated with more negative couple communication and more physical aggression as well as lower relationship adjustment, confidence, and dedication.
Abstract: This study uses a new measure to examine how different types of reasons for cohabitation are associated with individual well-being and relationship quality in a sample of 120 cohabiting heterosexual couples (N = 240). Spending more time together and convenience are the most strongly endorsed reasons. The degree to which individuals report cohabiting to test their relationships is associated with more negative couple communication and more physical aggression as well as lower relationship adjustment, confidence, and dedication. Testing the relationship is also associated with higher levels of attachment insecurity and more symptoms of depression and anxiety. Men are more likely than women to endorse testing their relationships and less likely to endorse convenience as a reason for cohabiting.

119 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: For instance, this paper found that children living with a substance-abusing parent are at considerable risk for poor health and behavior outcomes, that such risk is not moderated by parent gender, and that it is substantially larger when both parents have substance abuse problems.
Abstract: Parental substance abuse is associated with adverse health and developmental outcomes for children. Existing research, however, has not fully explored the relative magnitude of the associations between maternal, paternal, and both parents' substance abuse and child outcomes, nor has it examined these associations in regard to substance abuse among nonresident fathers. We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3,027) to explore these issues among a cohort of 3-year-old children. We find that children living with a substance-abusing parent are at considerable risk for poor health and behavior outcomes, that such risk is not moderated by parent gender, and that it is substantially larger when both parents have substance abuse problems. Moreover, children with substance-abusing fathers are at a potentially higher risk of health and behavior problems when their fathers live with them, although this risk is still substantial when they do not.

114 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors present a selective review of the literature on immigrant families in the United States, focusing on key research themes and needs, as well as suggestions for future research in this increasingly important area of family research and policy.
Abstract: Family researchers and policy makers are giving increasing attention to the consequences of immigration for families. Immigration affects the lives of family members who migrate as well as those who remain behind and has important consequences for family formation, kinship ties, living arrangements, and children's outcomes. We present a selective review of the literature on immigrant families in the United States, focusing on key research themes and needs. A summary of secondary data sets that can be used to study immigrant families is presented as well as suggestions for future research in this increasingly important area of family research and policy.

110 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed data from 20 qualitative, semistructured interviews with low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children living in North Carolina and found that most of the mothers reported experiencing depressive symptoms after becoming parents.
Abstract: Mexican immigrant mothers face many challenges that put them at increased risk for poor mental health. To understand the factors that lead to the development of depressive symptoms among Mexican immigrant mothers, we analyzed data from 20 qualitative, semistructured interviews. Participants included low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children living in North Carolina. Most of the mothers in our study reported experiencing depressive symptoms after becoming parents. They expressed their symptoms as feelings of sadness, depression, loneliness, shame, and anxiety. Economic stressors contributing to their emotional health included financial obligations, work, and child care. Social stressors included family separation, social isolation, and discrimination. To cope with these stressors, mothers relied heavily on social networks and community resources. Our results suggest that a combination of both risk and resiliency factors shape the emotional health of Mexican immigrant mothers.

100 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article used data from the 1973-2006 General Social Survey to assess the interactive impact of race and gender on marital happiness over time, with Whites and husbands reporting greater marital happiness than Blacks and wives.
Abstract: This article uses data from the 1973-2006 General Social Survey to assess the interactive impact of race and gender on marital happiness over time. Findings indicate independent and significant effects for both variables, with Whites and husbands reporting greater marital happiness than Blacks and wives. Comparing four subgroups (White husbands, White wives, Black husbands, and Black wives), the authors find that White husbands report the highest levels of marital happiness whereas Black wives report the lowest. Assessment of trends from the 1970s to the 2000s reveals a convergence among the groups: Although White husbands consistently report the highest levels of marital happiness, there has been a steady decline in the gap between all four groups. Most notably, Black wives exhibit a significant increase in marital happiness relative to the other groups. Findings are discussed in the context of the changing structure and composition of families in contemporary U.S. society.

90 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper explored parental health and well-being in relation to "empty nest" transitions and found that only a minority of parents report having experienced the empty nest syndrome, however, cultural background and other sociodemographic and relational processes are found to influence the likelihood of reporting this condition.
Abstract: This study explores parental health and well-being in relation to “empty nest” transitions. Focus is placed on the purported empty nest syndrome (i.e., self-reported experiences of depression and emotional distress when children leave home) and variations by parental gender and cultural background. This study is primarily based on in-depth telephone interviews conducted in 2006 and 2007 with a subsample (n = 316) of parents from four cultural groups (British, Chinese, Southern European, and Indo/East Indian) living in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia. A mixed-methodological approach is used whereby both quantitative and qualitative strategies are combined. Findings reveal that overall only a minority of parents report having experienced the empty nest syndrome. However, cultural background and other sociodemographic and relational processes are found to influence the likelihood of reporting this condition. With increasing cultural diversity in North American society, these results have the potential to s...

84 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper found that the married enjoy higher levels of well-being than the unmarried, including unmarried cohabiters, while single gays and lesbians report less happiness than married spouses but more happiness than singles, regardless of sexual orientation.
Abstract: Prior research indicates that the married enjoy higher levels of well-being than the unmarried, including unmarried cohabiters. Yet, comparisons of married and unmarried persons routinely exclude partnered gays and lesbians. Using a large probability sample, this study assessed how the well-being of partnered gays and lesbians (282) compares with that of persons from other relationship status groups, including legally married spouses (6,734); unmarried heterosexuals who are cohabiting (614), dating (2,992), or unattached (750); and single gays and lesbians (59). After controlling for demographic variables, partnered gays and lesbians were found to report less happiness than married spouses but more happiness than singles, regardless of sexual orientation. Conversely, no differences were found between partnered gays and lesbians and married persons in health. On both measures, partnered gays and lesbians were similar to heterosexual cohabiters. The implications of these findings are considered in light of ...

81 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors found that almost half of all first cohabitations begin with intentions to marry, and having marital intentions increases the likelihood of marriage and decreases the odds of dissolution, with significant differences by gender and race/ethnicity.
Abstract: Using Cycle 6 of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), this article documents the extent to which cohabitors begin their union with intentions to marry (indicated by either being engaged or having definite plans to marry) and how this is related to subsequent cohabitation transitions, building on earlier literature examining expectations. Almost half of all first cohabitations begin with intentions to marry, and having marital intentions increases the likelihood of marriage and decreases the odds of dissolution. Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to report having marital intentions but less likely to transition to marriage. Prior family experiences also influence having marital intentions and the outcome of the cohabiting union, with significant differences by gender. Results suggest that although many individuals believe their cohabitation is part of the marriage process, gender and race/ethnicity play an important role in whether plans to marry will be realized.

81 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Findings suggest that children living in mother-only families that include a grandparent are substantially less likely to be living below or near the poverty level, compared with children living with at least one grandparent present.
Abstract: Estimates suggest that more than 6 million children live with at least one grandparent. Despite evidence establishing the growing prevalence of this arrangement, limited research has focused on estimating the implications of coresidence for the economic well-being of grandchildren. Using data from the 2001 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, this article examines levels of financial hardship among a particularly vulnerable group of children—those living in mother-only families. Findings suggest that children living in mother-only families that include a grandparent are substantially less likely to be living below or near the poverty level, compared with children living in mother-only families without a grandparent present. The financial security of children in these three-generation households is enhanced through significant economic contributions of the grandparents and from household receipt of a wide range of financial resources, including means-tested cash transfers and other inco...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors examined the relationship between religious beliefs and attitudes toward corporal punishment using data from the 1998 National Opinion Research Center General Social Survey, which contains an extensive special module of items tapping aspects of religious doctrine.
Abstract: The use of corporal punishment to discipline children remains a perennial focus of controversy. Several studies published in the 1990s linked support for, and use of, corporal punishment with religious factors, particularly core doctrines of conservative (i.e., evangelical and fundamentalist) Protestantism. This study reexamines the relationships between religious beliefs and attitudes toward corporal punishment using data from the 1998 National Opinion Research Center General Social Survey, which contains an extensive special module of items tapping aspects of religious doctrine. The authors also consider the implications of the “culture wars” thesis, which suggests that sociopolitical ideology—in addition to, or instead of—religious factors may shape corporal punishment attitudes. Findings underscore the importance of conservative Protestant beliefs, especially hierarchical images of God and belief in Hell, but not denominational affiliation. Sociopolitical conservatism is independently related to suppo...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors examined several key parenting variables (psychological control, psychological autonomy, and acceptance) in predicting self-esteem among Latino adolescents using structural equation modeling analyses and found that parental acceptance variables are omitted from the model and group gender comparisons are examined.
Abstract: This study examines several key parenting variables (psychological control, psychological autonomy, and acceptance) in predicting self-esteem among Latino adolescents using structural equation modeling analyses. Nested models are tested and parental acceptance variables are omitted from the model and group gender comparisons are examined. Two variables, maternal psychological autonomy and paternal psychological control, are found to be significant predictors of Latino boys’ self-esteem, whereas psychological autonomy and control (paternal and maternal) are all significantly related to self-esteem among Latino girls. Cultural factors that may have influenced these results are discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors investigated how parents of adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) manage courtesy stigma in their lives and found that parents react to external expectations put forward by various community networks, but they respond to an internalized sense of responsibility in the context of immediate family.
Abstract: This qualitative study investigates how parents of adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) manage courtesy stigma in their lives. Focus groups are conducted with mothers and fathers of adolescents with ADHD who are part of a cohort study on ADHD detection and service use. Using grounded theory analysis, researchers find that parents react to external expectations put forward by various community networks, but they respond to an internalized sense of responsibility in the context of immediate family. In addition, parents' stigma management extends beyond coping with their child's disability, adding an extra layer of stressful demands that could be lessened through societal stigma reduction. To conclude, advice offered to families needs to be individualized, carefully matched with their current support networks and priorities, and needs to consider that certain stigma management approaches can perpetuate existing negative identity markers.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined links between parental status and depressive symptoms among older adults, comparing biological and social definitions of parenthood, and found that there was a substantial variation in the relationship between parent status and depression by gender and marital status.
Abstract: Prior research has examined whether parenthood is associated with higher levels of well-being among older adults, but definitions of parental status have varied. The authors examine links between parental status and depressive symptoms among older adults, comparing biological and social definitions of parenthood. The study finds few differences between biological and social parenthood but substantial variation in the relationship between parental status and depressive symptoms by gender and marital status. Biologically and socially childless adults had the lowest predicted levels of depression across all marital status groups. Widowed men averaged higher levels of depression than other men. For women, the highest predicted levels of depressive symptoms were observed among never-married biological parents and formerly married women who had outlived their children. Increased sampling of less common parental subgroups and diverse kinship relations to allow for more precise classifications and the considerati...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article examined associations between belief in the future availability of instrumental support (e.g., child care, temporary housing, and financial assistance), subsequent reception of inadequate support, and depression in a socioeconomically diverse sample of new mothers, and found that mothers who experience a negative mismatch between support perception and adequate receipt of support have increased odds of experiencing an MDE compared with mothers who either receive adequate support or who have no support needs.
Abstract: Little is known about the effect of incongruity between perception of, or belief in, the availability of support and actual receipt of support during a time of need. This article examines associations between belief in the future availability of instrumental support (e.g., child care, temporary housing, and financial assistance), subsequent reception of inadequate support, and depression in a socioeconomically diverse sample of new mothers. Receipt of support is associated with increased odds of experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE), whereas belief in the availability of future support appears to be protective of mental health. Mothers who experience a negative mismatch between support perception and adequate receipt of support have increased odds of experiencing an MDE compared with mothers who either receive adequate support or who have no support needs; however, their susceptibility is no greater than that of mothers who simply have unmet instrumental needs.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study finds that because of their unique social, historical, and biographical relationship to marriage and ceremonies, long-term same-sex couples do not follow normative commitment-making trajectories and can transition more ambiguously to committed formations without marriage, public ceremony, clear-cut act, or decision.
Abstract: The majority of Americans will marry in their lifetimes, and for many, marriage symbolizes the transition into long-term commitment. However, many Americans cannot legally marry. This article analyzes in-depth interviews with gays and lesbians in long-term partnerships to examine union formation and commitment-making histories. Using a life course perspective that emphasizes historical and biographical contexts, the authors examine how couples conceptualize and form committed relationships despite being denied the right to marry. Although previous studies suggest that commitment ceremonies are a way to form same-sex unions, this study finds that because of their unique social, historical, and biographical relationship to marriage and ceremonies, long-term same-sex couples do not follow normative commitment-making trajectories. Instead, relationships can transition more ambiguously to committed formations without marriage, public ceremony, clear-cut act, or decision. Such an understanding of commitment making outside of marriage has implications for theorizing alternative forms of union making.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors find that youth in single-parent or stepparent families, but not in two-parent adoptive families, are more likely to identify as adults compared with those in two"-biological-parent families.
Abstract: This study examines the links between adolescent family context and coming to see oneself as an adult. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors investigate how adolescent family structure, resources, and processes together influence adult identity and whether they do so similarly for men and women. The authors find that youth in single-parent or stepparent families, but not in two-parent adoptive families, are more likely to identify as adults compared with those in two-biological-parent families. These relationships, however, are mediated by both family resources and processes. Furthermore, one of these processes, parental control, is especially influential for youth in single-father and other family structures, and parent—adolescent relationship quality and living in other-structure families are more consequential for young women than men.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a longitudinal study examined whether nonviolent aspects of interparental conflict, in addition to inter parental violence, predicted dating violence perpetration and victimization among 150 Mexican American and European American male and female adolescents, ages 16 to 20.
Abstract: This longitudinal study examined whether nonviolent aspects of interparental conflict, in addition to interparental violence, predicted dating violence perpetration and victimization among 150 Mexican American and European American male and female adolescents, ages 16 to 20. When parents had more frequent conflict, were more verbally aggressive during conflict, had poor conflict resolution, or were physically violent during conflict at baseline, adolescents were more involved in dating violence, both perpetration and victimization, at 1-year follow-up. Adolescents' appraisals of parental conflict and their emotional distress mediated the relationships between nonviolent parental conflict and dating violence. In contrast, interparental violence directly predicted involvement in dating violence. Results provide support for the importance of nonviolent parental conflict as an influence on adolescents' involvement in dating violence, over and above the influence of interparental violence. Cognitive and emotio...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article examined whether young adults who experienced their parents' divorce and new relationships have different relationship trajectories than those who spent their childhoods living with biological parents in married-couple families.
Abstract: The authors examine whether young adults who experienced their parents' divorce and new relationships have different relationship trajectories than those who spent their childhoods living with biological parents in married-couple families. The analysis is based on longitudinal reports from more than 1,500 children from Wave 1 of the 1987-1988 National Survey of Families and Households who were ages 18 to 34 at Wave 3 (in 2001-2002). The results suggest that parents' intimate relationships serve as templates for their children. Children of divorce had elevated rates of cohabitation as adults, relative to marriage. But union outcomes were not uniform for all children who experienced parental divorce. Those whose parents cohabited following divorce exhibited elevated odds of cohabiting themselves, compared to young adults whose parents remarried without first cohabiting or remained in stable marriages. Parental cohabitation also undermines relationship quality and stability among married or dating young adults.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results confirm the critical role grandmothers play in the event of maternal death and underscore the importance of attending to the simultaneous presence of mothers and grandmothers, as well as the circumstances associated with mother absence, when assessing the relationship between grandmother coresidence and child outcomes.
Abstract: The HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa has brought renewed attention to the role of grandmothers as caregivers of children. Using 2004 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey data, the authors examine the relationship between coresidence with a grandmother and child schooling in Lesotho, a country with one of the highest rates of HIV infection. Results confirm the critical role grandmothers play in the event of maternal death. Maternal orphans who live with a grandmother are just as likely to be in school as children living with a mother. The protective effect of living with a grandmother is also important for children whose mothers are alive but not affiliated with their households. The results of the analysis underscore the importance of attending to the simultaneous presence of mothers and grandmothers, as well as the circumstances associated with mother absence, when assessing the relationship between grandmother coresidence and child outcomes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper investigated the conditions that give rise to parenting self-efficacy in Japan and the United States, and investigated its relation to the perceptions of support available to mothers of children in the final year of preschool.
Abstract: To understand the conditions that give rise to parenting self-efficacy in Japan and the United States, the authors have investigated its relation to the perceptions of support available to mothers of children in the final year of preschool (N = 235; n = 121 in United States, n = 114 in Japan). Hierarchical regression analysis indicates that in both countries, women who experience higher parenting self-efficacy report more positive childhood memories of parental support and greater satisfaction with husband’s and friends’ support. Mothers in the United States are significantly more self-efficacious than are mothers in Japan, even after controlling for the effects of the support predictors. A follow-up mediational analysis reveals that Japanese women’s lower levels of parenting self-efficacy are partially attributable to their low satisfaction with husband’s support.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper examined the impact of family interaction, perceived discrimination, stressful life events, and the hosting country on the adjustment of Israeli and German immigrants, and found that changes in self-esteem between the 1st year of immigration and 2 and 4 years later were significantly related to family relations: the better the functioning, the greater the improvement.
Abstract: This study examined the impact of family interaction, perceived discrimination, stressful life events, and the hosting country on the adjustment of Israeli and German immigrants. Results show that changes in self-esteem between the 1st year of immigration and 2 and 4 years later were significantly related to family relations: the better the functioning, the greater the improvement. The patterns of relationships in the family, however, only partially explained changes in psychological well-being and language proficiency. Perceived discrimination explained discrepancies over time in psychological well-being among fathers and adolescents and the discrepancies in language proficiency among mothers: the lower the discrimination, the greater the improvement. Adult immigrants who experienced more stressful life events presented deterioration in their psychological well-being over time. Finally, adults who immigrated to Germany were more likely to acquire the new language than their counterparts who immigrated to...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Differences were not evident in appraisals of job and marital satisfaction, social support, and psychological health, revealing areas of positive adaptation as well as areas of vulnerability unique to adolescent parenthood.
Abstract: The present study examined the midlife outcomes of 548 adults who became parents before the age of 20. Participants were from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) and were followed prospectively from age 18 until age 53. Their life-course development was compared to sample members who gave birth at the mean age for the WLS. Midlife outcomes were assessed in five domains: educational and occupational attainment, family formation, social participation and support, physical health, and psychological health. Compared to delayed child bearers, early child bearers completed less schooling and, in midlife, had less prestigious occupations, more unstable marriages, and were less physically healthy. Differences were not evident in appraisals of job and marital satisfaction, social support, and psychological health, revealing areas of positive adaptation as well as areas of vulnerability unique to adolescent parenthood.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: For example, the authors investigated the relationship between relationship quality and adjustment among adolescents from divorced families and found that their relationship with their maternal grandmothers was more salient to their adjustment than do youth from intact families.
Abstract: This study investigates maternal grandmother—grandchild relationship quality as a predictor of psychological adjustment among youth from divorced families. Three hundred twenty-four adolescents aged between 17 and 20 report on the quality of their relationships with their maternal grandmothers and their relational competence, self-efficacy, and psychological symptoms. Structural equation modeling analyses support a model in which participants' relationships with grandmothers predict their psychological adjustment. Family background (divorced vs. intact families) moderates the relationship between relationship quality and adjustment; youth from divorced families indicate that their relationships with their maternal grandmothers are more salient to their adjustment than do youth from intact families. These findings suggest that the bonds young people develop with their maternal grandmothers following their parents' divorce may positively affect their psychological functioning.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of sociodemographic and attitudinal factors on the amount of contact between fathers and their children following a union dissolution was explored using fathers' reports on a sample of 859 children from newly available survey data.
Abstract: Following divorce or separation, father—child contact is deemed an important influence on child development. Previous research has explored the impact of sociodemographic and attitudinal factors on the amount of contact between fathers and their children following a union dissolution. This article revisits this important question using fathers' reports on a sample of 859 children from newly available survey data. Multilevel random intercept models are used to reassess the influence of child- and father-level factors on the amount of reported contact. Results show that the amount of father—child contact following separation is the product of several factors such as the father's income, conjugal/parental trajectory, and level of satisfaction with existing arrangements.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined whether emotional spousal support contributes to business owners' perceived work-family balance while launching a family business, and found that emotional support given by spouses is strongly related to reports of support received, suggesting genuine interpersonal transactions of support.
Abstract: This study examines whether emotional spousal support contributes to business owners' perceived work—family balance while launching a family business. Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources theory of stress is applied to 109 family business owners and their spouses. Results from structural equation models support several hypotheses. First, reports of spousal support given are strongly related to reports of support received, suggesting genuine interpersonal transactions of support. Second, the effects of spousal support are confounded until a satisfaction-with-business-communication variable is introduced, revealing competing direct and indirect effects on work—family balance. Finally, business owner work hours have an additive negative effect on work—family balance, suggesting multiple means for maintaining work—family balance.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between grandchildren and their grandparents across early adulthood using cross-sectional data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (N = 1,231).
Abstract: Using cross-sectional data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (N = 1,231), this study examines the relationship between grandchildren and their grandparents across early adulthood. Age is used as a proxy for change during the grandchild’s life course and the influence of major life course characteristics is examined. Results indicate that the majority of young adult grandchildren have contact with their grandparents, but the average frequency is low. Age differences in contact frequency suggest a decline in grandparent—grandchild contact across early adulthood. Multilevel analyses show that grandchildren’s employment status, partner, and parenthood status do not affect contact frequency with grandparents. Rather, the results point at the importance of the parental home for facilitating grandparent—grandchild contact as age-related differences are accounted for by whether grandchildren left the parental home. Furthermore, most of the variance in grandparent—grandchild contact is attributable to diffe...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper used qualitative and quantitative data for a recent birth cohort from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study to compare kin support patterns between African Americans and Hispanics during the transition to parenthood.
Abstract: This article uses qualitative and quantitative data for a recent birth cohort from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study to compare kin support patterns between African Americans and Hispanics. It focuses on financial and housing support from grandparents and other kin during the transition to parenthood. Qualitative analysis (n = 122 parents) uncovers distinctions in the way African American and Hispanic parents discuss their family networks, with African Americans emphasizing relations with female kin and Hispanics emphasizing a more integrated system. Consistent with these findings, quantitative analysis (n = 2,472 mothers and n = 2,639 fathers) finds that compared with Hispanic parents, African American parents are more likely to receive financial and housing support from grandmothers and less likely to receive support from both grandparents. Contrary to expectations that fathers would be the primary support recipients in Hispanic households, the authors find that mothers are the more common ...

Journal ArticleDOI
Leila Karimi1
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined gender differences in the experience of work-family interference and perceived job-life satisfaction in a group of Iranian employees and found that for female employees, working hours and family-to-work interference had even more significant and negative effects on their job-ife satisfaction.
Abstract: This study aims at examining gender differences in the experience of work–family interference and perceived job–life satisfaction in a group of Iranian employees. The participants in the study consist of 387 Iranian male and female employees from a variety of organizations. The results of t tests and multiple regression analysis using EQS 6.1 support the hypothesis that Iranian male and female employees experience similar interference in their work–family domains although they spend different numbers of hours in the workplace. The findings also show that whereas work-to-family interference has significant and negative effects on job–life satisfaction among male employees, for female employees, working hours and family-to-work interference had even more significant and negative effects on their job–ife satisfaction. Implications are discussed and recommendations made regarding future research and interventions in this area.