Showing papers in "Journal of Marriage and Family in 1979"

Measuring Intrafamily Conflict and Violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales

Abstract: Development of research on intrafamily conflict and violence requires both conceptual clarity and measures of the concepts. The introduction to this paper therefore seeks to clarifj and distinguish the concepts of "conflict, " "conflict of interest, " "hostility, " and "violence. " The main part qf the paper describes the Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales. The CT Scales are designed to measure the use qf Reasoning, VerbalAggression, and Violence within the family. Information is presented on the following aspects of this instrument: theoretical rational, acceptability to respondents, scoring, factor structure, reliability, validity, and norms for a nationally representative sample of 2,143 couples.

Marital Status and Health.

Abstract: In the United States, mortality rates are higher for nonmarried people than married people, and are especially high for the formerly married. To determine if morbidity and disability reveal the same differentials, age-adjusted data from the Health Interview Survey, Health Examination Survey, 1960 and 1970 Censuses of Population, and other federal health surveys are examined. The noninstitutional population is considered first: divorced and separated people have the worst health status, with highest rates of acute conditions, of chronic conditions which limit social activity, and of disabilityfor health problems. Widowed people rank second for health status, followed by single people. Married people appear healthiest, having low rates of chronic limitation and disability. Their rates of restricted activity and medical care are intermediate, but hospital stays tend to be short. Considering the institutional population, rates of residence in health institutions are highest for single people and lowest for married ones. These results are explained by marital roles and life styles which influence health, by selectivity into a marital status because of health, and by propensities to take health actions when feeling ill.

Multidimensional Assessment of Marital Satisfaction.

Abstract: Two studies were conducted involving 150 couples selected at-large and 40 couples in Imlirital therapy. An initial fbcus of the studies was the development of' a 280-item Marital Satisfaction Inventory (MSI) including one validity scale, one global affective scale, and nine additional scales focusing on specific areas qf marital interaction. Correlational analyses confirm that measures qf communication are the best single predictors qf global marital satisfaction. Prqfile analyses demonstrate the ability qf the MSI to discriminate between couples in therapy and a matched control group. Implications for use qf the instrument both as a clinical tool and research instrument are discussed.

Integrating Coping Behavior in Family Stress Theory.

Abstract: Some of the discrepancies between observations made of family behavior under stress and the family stress theory literature to date result from the tendency to emphasize adaptation to stress as an intrafamily process. Analysis of three studies of coping and adaptation in the face of family separations reveals that the family is called upon to both react and actively employ coping behaviors within the family system and in relationship to the community. The analysis reveals specific coping behaviors which vary according to the severity of the stress on the family unit and underscores the value of viewing coping behavior as an integral part of Hill's B Factor -Family Resources-in family stress theory. Five propositions are offered and discussed in the advancement of research and theory construction.

The Division of Family Roles.

Abstract: In this paper, we analyze the marital role division between 1,212 couples taken from a probability sample of the Philadelphia urbanized area. We concentrate on the division of household tasks, of child care, and of paid employment. Using log linear techniques, we examine the effects of a variety of variables measuring social networks and the relative status of husband and wife. Data show support for a marital power model with husband's income negatively related to shared roles and with wife's education positively related to shared roles. Black couples are more likely to share household tasks than white couples.

The Value of Children in the United States: A New Approach to the Study of Fertility.

Abstract: National sample data are analyzed to understand the psychological satisfactions of having children and how these relate to fertility attitudes. Responses about advantages of having children are reported for black, white, and Hispanic couples. Multiple-classification analysis is used to investigate the relationship between these responses and desired family size. Responses indicating that children provide "something usefiul to do, " make you feel like "a better person, " and have economic-utility are positively related to family size, whereas responses indicating that children are seen as functional for the marriage are negatively related. Satisfactions that are positively related are less common in America but cited more by subgroups with higher fertility desires. Thus, satisfactions may be a link between demographic variables and fertility attitudes.

Family Conflict and Children's Self-Concepts: A Comparison of Intact and Single-Parent Families.

Abstract: Data were collected from a sample of289 third, sixth, and eighth grade children concerning self-concept, family structure, and family conflict. Using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale to measure self-concept, and self-reports for family structure and family conflict, no significant differences in self-concept scores of children from intact, single-parent, reconstituted, or other types offamilies were found. Self-concept scores were significantly lower for children who reported higher levels of ,family conflict.

Measuring marital satisfaction in three generations: Positive and negative dimensions.

Abstract: Some studies of marital satisfaction with advancing age have suggested a linear decline over time; others a U-shaped curve with an upswing in satisfaction during the later stages of the family cycle. Contradictory findings may in part be due to orthogonal dimensions underlying "marital satisfaction. " Data from 1, 056 married members of three-generation families were used to develop a two-dimensional measure of marital satisfaction reflecting positive interaction and negative sentiment. Results suggest marked differences by generation on both dimensions, with the youngest generation highest on both positive and negative factors. The oldest showed moderately low levels on positive interaction but even lower scores on negative sentiment. Further analyses using chronological age and duration of marriage displayed results similar to the three-generational analysis; no differences emerged by sex or by first versus second marriages. Thus, the "career" of self-reported marital satisfaction parsimoniously may be described by examining two dimensions which evidence a linear decline by age (negative sentiment) and a U-shaped curve (positive interaction).

The Family Life Cycle: Empirical or Conceptual Tool?.

Abstract: A number of issues related to individual and family life are studied as they vary across stages of the family life cycle. Strong relationships are found between stages in the family life cycle and a number of such issues. Further analysis which seeks to determine the manifest dimensions of the family life cycle indicates that the major empirically important dimensions qf the family life cycle are the presence qf children and length of marriage. Finally, it is shown that relationships which exist between many family life variables and stages in the family life cycle disappear when the effect of length of marriage is removed from the relationships. It is suggested that the applicability qf family life cycle analysis could be considerably extended by recognition of the crucial empirical importance of the length of marriage and the simple presence or absence of children.

Is zero preferred? American attitudes toward childlessness in the 1970s

Abstract: Is a large increase in voluntary childlessness likely to contribute to extremely low fertility rates in the U.S.? To address this issue this paper uses special questions on attitudes toward childlessness commissioned on a Gallup survey of voting-age adults in February 1977. A Likert-type scale of attitudes toward childlessness was constructed and major sociodemographic plus some additional predictors of scale values were studied by means of Multiple Classification Analysis. There is a high level of consensus that nonparenthood is not an advantaged status and although offspring are not regarded as economic investments they are viewed as being socially instrumental -- they are not solely consumption goods. A desire for some children is thus not as vulnerable to cost factors as one might think on the basis of a consumer model of reproductive motivation. Less advantaged groups in the population are more likely than others to regard reproduction as a social investment thus helping to explain the frequently discovered inverse relationship between socioeconomic status (including educational status) and either preferred or actual family size. A major finding is that men are significantly more likely to regard childlessness as disadvantageous than are women.(AUTHOR ABSTRACT)

The Economic Consequences of Divorce.

Abstract: In order to evaluate properly the rising incidence of divorce in the United States we need to know its consequences for families and society at large. This paper focuses on the questions: (1) what does divorce mean in the way of economic hardship for family members; (2) how is the burden distributed among husbands, wives, and children; and (3) why does the economic well-being of divorced wives typically fall short of that of former husbands? The analysis is based mainly on the findings of microlevel longitudinal surveys in the United States, and we conclude that an explanation revolves around lost "economies ofscale, "the selective nature of divorce, work versus welfare, and the inadequacy of child support and alimony.

The Causes of Marital Disruption among Young American Women: An Interdisciplinary Perspective.

Abstract: The determinants of marital disruption for a nationally representative cross-section of black and white women aged 14 to 24 in 1968 are examined from an interdisciplinary perspective. Utilizing data from theNationalLongitudinal Survey ofLabor Market Behavior ofYoung Women, a multivariate analysis incorporating afullrange ofeconomic, social and demographic variables examined the determinants ofa first marital disruption between 1968 and19 73 foryoung women who were married at any point during that interval. Whereas economic factors were found to have some importance, other social and demographicfactors appeared to have a more significant independent effect on the probability of disruption.

Childlessness and Marital Adjustment.

Abstract: A number of researchers have found that childless individuals report a higher level of marital adjustment/satisfaction than do people with children. Unfortunately, the category "childless" in these studies included voluntarily and involuntarily childless individuals as well as people who were simply postponing childbearing. The purpose of this study was: (1) to examine the relationship between voluntary childlessness and marital adjustment and (2) to eliminate the possibility of certain alternative explanations that could account for any difference that might be observed. To accomplish this aim, each of 50 voluntarily childless wives was precision-matched with 50 mothers on three variables-education, religion, and participation in the labor force. All were between 25 and 40 years of age. Consensus, cohesion, satisfaction, and affection expression were four components of marital adjustment that served as the bases for comparing these women. The findings reveal that the women who were childless by choice scored higher in overall marital adjustment but that this difference was not uniform across all areas of adjustment. The component that possessed the greatest discriminatory power was "cohesion."

The interrelation of parental and spousal behavior during infancy in traditional nuclear families: An exploratory analysis.

Abstract: Traditionally, family sociologists have devoted themselves to the study qf the marital relationship, while developmental psychologists have directed their attention toward the parent-child relationship. The present study represents an attempt to bridge these two disciplines by studying family interaction within a sample of families with 15-month-old infants. Data collected during naturalistic home-based observations are analyzed to explore the interface of husband-wife and parent-infant interactions. Three patterns emerge from this analysis suggesting that: (1) wives may have a greater influence on fathering than do husbands on mothering; (2) in some families spousal interaction may preclude active involvement in parenting; and (3) in other families active parental involvement may provide the basis for pleasurable spousal interaction. Given the nature of the family system, it is concluded that complete understanding of parenting and the spousal relationship can only be achieved if research is carried out on an interdisciplinar~ basis. A conceptual model fbr the study qf family interaction during the years when the child is an infant is proposed.

An Empirical Evaluation of the Family Life Cycle

Abstract: The concept of 'family life cycle" has become increasingly prominent in the study of "family development' '"-the formation, maintefnance, change, and dissolution of marriage and family relations. While researchers have found the family life cycle concept appealing, it has been accepted rather uncritically and its utility has never been empirically established. An evaluation of this concept is accomplished by examining the relationships between three possible stratification schemes for studying family development: stage of the family life cycle, marriage cohort, and birth cohort. An analysis using the 1/10, 000 subsample of the 1970 United States Census Public Use Data attempts to compare these stratification schemes using three methodological approaches. Cross-classification analysis, analysis of variance, and log-linear analysis for multidimensional contingency tables provide a triangulation of approaches to the question of whether or not one stratification scheme is superior to another for studying 'family development. "No method emerged as superior for either prediction or analytical utility. It is concluded that family life cycle as a stratification scheme for study-' ing family development has demonstrated no more empirical value than marriage cohort or age cohort. While the article's primary contribution is methodological, it has both practical and theoretical implications. The findings suggest that data sets heretofore untappedforfamily analysis which include age or length of time married, but not stage of the family life cycle, may now be appropriate for examination of developmental questions by marriage and family researchers. The findings also suggest the need for the development of other stratification schemes as alternatives to the family life cycle stages.

Marital Satisfaction over the Family Life Cycle: A Critique and Proposal.

Abstract: This paper examines the research which has explored the relationship between marital satisfaction and thefamily life cycle. It critically evaluates the research designs and assesses the methodological weaknesses which resulted in findings which are inconclusive, inconsistent, and ambiguous. The most convincing finding is represented as a curvilinear model. Varying interpretations of this model are presented herein. An alternative methodology is proposed which attempts to solve the problems exposed in past research efforts and which could be reconciled with reformulations of the developmental perspective which will take into account cultural changes.

Correlates of marital happiness among the remarried.

Abstract: During the last decade, the divorce rate per 1, 000 population in the United States has doubled and divorce is now recognized as being pervasive throughout all major segments of society. While the remarriage rate has declined somewhat in the past few years, most of those who divorce will, nevertheless, eventually marry again. Data on the correlates of marital satisfaction among those who remarry tends to be fragmentary and dated. To provide additional information on this topic, questionnaires were received from 500 ever-divorced persons living in eight western states who were identified through a screening questionnaire sent to a much larger random sample of residents of these states. A total of369 of these persons were remarried at the time of the study. Comparatively, these individuals exhibit a very high level of marital satisfaction. However, traditional correlates of marital happiness among the firstmarriedsuch as presence or absence of children, religious homogeneity, and social class-are found to be relatively poor predictors of marital happiness among the remarried. The nature and types qf problems which do exist in the remarriages tend to be quite different from those that occurred in the marriage that was terminated by divorce.

Polygyny: Women's Views in a Transitional Society, Nigeria 1975.

Abstract: Womens attitudes toward polygyny are examined in the context of a transitional urban society in western Nigeria - a society in which almost 1/2 of all wives live in polygynous unions. The data on the incidence of polygyny are drawn from a sample of 6606 women of all marital statuses; the data on attitudes is based on in-depth interviews with 250 wives. The most important finding is possibly the lack of any clear division between monogamously and polygynously married women. In a society in which polygyny is so widely accepted nearly all monogamous marriages are perceived as potentially polygynous and sole wives need to always consider the prospect of additional wives. 60% of the wives indicated straightforwardly that they would be pleased if their husbands took another wife; they would be pleased to share the housework husband care and child-minding and to have someone to gossip and "play" with. 23% openly expressed anger at the idea of sharing material and sexual resources with another wife while the remainder expressed some ambivalence. The more traditionally oriented uneducated wives were more inclined to be pleased with the idea of sharing their husband (67%) in contrast to those with some formal Western-style education (54%). Wives opinions on personal autonomy fertility womens issues and general development are also examined.

Day Care in the Next Decade: 1980-1990.

Abstract: Over the next decade the growth in the number qf preschool children with working mothers is expected to be rapid, both because qf the increase in the total number qf children and because more of their mothers will be employed This raises an important concern, since the supply qf individual day care providers appears to be shrinking at the same time that the need fobr such care is increasing Most evidence points to increased parental dependence on group care, not only fbr their 3to 5-year olds, but also for infants and toddlers Demographic, economic and attitudinal factors, as well as public policy, have contributed to this trend and can be expected to play a

Sex Differentials in the Effect of Remarriage of Global Happiness.

Abstract: Data from a large state-wide survey are used to examine the effect of divorce and remarriage on global happiness. A comparison of the remarried and the once-married shows that remarried men report themselves significantly more happy than men in intact first marriages, whereas remarried women are less happy than women in first marriages. These observed differences in global happiness are shown to be systematically related to diff'erences in levels of social integration, socioeconomic status, and general and marital satisfaction. It is suggested that differential recruitment into remarriage is an important contributor to the observed interaction.

The Effects of Welfare on Marital Stability and Remarriage.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects oqfwelfare on marital dissolution and remarriage. The data were firom a sample of 4,322 females age 30-44 f~om the National Longitudinal Surveys. It was fbund that those who received AFDC, fobod stamps, or other public assistance dissolved their marriages more frequently than those not receiving welfare. This finding held among low-income whites but not

Extended Kinship in the United States: Competing Models and the Case of La Familia Chicana.

Abstract: The Parsons' isolated nuclear family, the Litwak and Sussman modified extended or neolocal nuclear family system, and the Yorburg typology qf four family structures (extended, modified extended, modified nuclear, and nuclear) are discussed. In light qf the discussion and relevant literature, extended kinship among Chicanos (persons of Mexican-descent in the United States) is explored through intensive, open-ended interviews with four cases of three generations qf Mexican-descent families in the Michigan-Indiana-Illinois region and the charting of their family trees. La familia chicana is posited as a modified extended or kin-integrated family extending over time and space from Mexico at the turn of the century to present day industrial America, with antecedents retraceable to pre-Columbian periods.

Land Ownership and Women's Power in a Midwestern Farming Community*

Abstract: Control over land, a scarce resource for farmers, is fbund to be the source of women's power in a community of central Illinois farm families. Data were obtained mainly from interviews with and participant observation of22 households of German extraction. Because men control the actual farming and distribution of what is produced, women generally cede power obtained by means of land ownership to husbands or male relatives. This shift of authority and other agricultural practices in rural America are seen to account for male domination in both family and community. Women appear to make a trade-off of lower status and less power fbr male management of the family enterprise which assures them a financially secure widowhood.