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Examines single-parent families headed by fathers. Studied specially constructed child files from the 1960-90 Public Use Microdata Samples data from the Census of Population. Findings showed single-father families generally rare but increasing. Social capital of children's fathers, availability of adults, and children's economic well-being vary markedly. Reveals a wide diversity of living arrangements. (FC)

Discusses increased kinship care as a resilient response by the African American community. Strengths and resilience of the African American family can be attributed in part to a strong kinship network. In this manner, the African American community is preserving the family. Concludes this community needs support through imaginative social work policies and practice. (Author/RB)

Uses data from the Second Malaysian Family Life Survey to examine effects of mother's divorce/separation or widowhood on Malaysian adolescents' school participation. Children (ages 15-19) of divorced or separated (but not widowed) mothers were at greater risk of leaving school than those in other family situations, regardless of individual demographic characteristics, family resources, and proximity of schools. (SV)

Explores the relationship between adolescent reports of the level of kinship support they experience as members of an extended family network and racial socialization beliefs. Responses from 229 African American adolescents support the hypothesis that adolescent perceptions of the importance of racial socialization relate directly to perceived kinship social support. (GR)

Investigates race differences in the structure of informal caregiving networks for functionally-impaired elderly (n=3,793) using data from the 1989 National Long-Term Care Survey. Size of caregiver network and number of unpaid caregivers did not differ by race, but the likelihood of there being a nonimmediate family member among unpaid caregivers was higher among blacks. (JPS)

Examines diverse family structures of school-age children, based on Census Bureau studies of marital structure and children's living arrangements. Defines nuclear, blended, and extended families. The most striking trend is from two-parent to one-parent families. Educators should not categorize children based on superficial knowledge about their home environment. (MLH)

Examines the relationship between racial socialization attitudes and racial identity stages. The Scale of Racial Socialization for Adolescents and the Racial Identity Attitude Scale administered to 287 black adolescents show that specific factors of racial socialization differentially predict all the racial identity stages for females and the preencounter and internalization identity stages for males; racial socialization is shown to be multidimensional. (GR)

Explores the ambiguous nature of Canadian Native women's political status in relation to men within the internal political processes of Indian reserve communities. Examines linkages among economic factors, domestic organization, and political process, and the disruption of Indian women's lives by state intervention (particularly federal laws concerning women's and children's Indian status, band membership, and eligibility for services). (SV)

Draws on long-term ethnographic study of an extended Tewa family in San Juan Pueblo to describe the roles of four related grandmothers. Discusses the cultural context of San Juan Pueblo, biological and cultural criteria for grandmotherhood, linguistic markers, caregiving and childrearing activities of grandmothers for grandchildren and later generations, and changing roles of grandmothers across the generations. (SV)

Examined the distinguishing features of African American social support networks from an ecological perspective. Found that African American families function within an ecological framework with implications for support received and network membership. Types of support network and membership are experienced differently across family structure, socioeconomic status, and gender. (AA)

Examines the health and school adjustment of children raised solely by grandparents. Results indicate that these children fare quite well relative to children in families with one biological parent present with or without a spouse. These children are not significantly different except in academic performance. (JPS)

Investigates support from family and friends received by employed African American and Anglo mothers of young children. Supports investigated include care of sick and out-of-school children, general babysitting assistance, and help with transportation. A discouraging finding is that for every type of support, mothers below the poverty line are no more likely to receive support than more affluent mothers. (JPS)

Demonstrates that the Mexican American family is available for affective support of its elders but does not adequately provide for their instrumental needs. Despite a large amount of familial contact, relatively small percentages of families help their aging family members with their needs. Implications for policymakers are discussed. (JPS)

Explores how school social workers and children's protective services (CPS) can collaborate to improve the social and educational functioning of maltreated children living in kinship networks. A collaboration model between school social workers and CPS is suggested using provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. (JPS)

Examines whether living with other adults enables married and single mothers to enter the labor market. Findings show that coresident adults increased the labor force participation of some groups of women and that coresident adults serve different functions within households, which in turn influence women's labor force decisions in various ways. (JPS)

Explores the influence of marriage and family factors, including religiosity, on suicide beliefs or ideology using a national sample of 1,197 African Americans. Being married lowers prosuicide ideology, but institutional ties to religion are considerably more important than marital ties. The model is replicated for whites. (JPS)

Examines differences between rural farm and nonfarm families on the extent and quality of relationships between adolescents and their grandparents, with emphasis on linking relationships. Grandchildren in farm families have more contact with grandparents and rate the quality of their relationship higher, particularly with paternal grandparents. (JPS)

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)

Although delivery of health and mental health services to American Indian communities is improved by use of community-based paraprofessionals, these workers face conflicts related to kinship obligations. Discusses the role of family networks in Coast Salish community dynamics, and consequent influences on counselor effectiveness and the access of various families to services. Contains 30 references. (SV)

Substance use and delinquency, well-being, and social support were compared across 5 family constellations among 254 adolescent black males. The only difference found was that subjects living in single-mother households reported more parental support than those from other family structures. Data on father/male role model relationships challenged assumption that fathers' absence preempts significant relationship with sons. (HTH)

Tested a conceptual model developed explaining the link between kinship support and the psychological well-being of economically disadvantaged African American families. Found that kinship social support to mothers or female guardians was positively associated with adolescent psychological well-being, maternal well-being, and more adequate maternal parenting practices. (HTH)

Notes that, since 1982, the proportion of children in out-of-home care placed with relatives has increased rapidly and substantially, accompanied by decrease in number of foster families. Presents a range of definitions, policy issues, and ways of conceptualizing kinship care; emphasizes the experience of children and families of color as they relate to kinship care. (TM)

Compared reports of child maltreatment from individuals legally mandated to report such incidents (medical, school, social services, and law enforcement personnel) and those not required to report such incidents (children, responsible caretakers, absent spouses, other relatives, and neighbors). Found numerous similarities and differences among the types of maltreatment reported by mandated and nonmandated individuals. (MDM)

Examined 42,679 reports of child maltreatment in Missouri in 1992, focusing on the association between the source of the report and the outcome of the subsequent investigation. Found that anonymous reports were least likely to be substantiated, whereas those from law enforcement officials were most likely to be substantiated. (MDM)

Examined the parenting practices in 99 young, low-income, African American multigenerational families through home-based observations of grandmothers, young mothers, and the mothers' 3-year-old children. Residence with grandmothers was found to have negative consequences on the quality of both mothers' and grandmothers' parenting. (MDM)

Examined stressful loss for individual and extended kin, buffering hypothesis, and utilitarian drinking among 1,478 African Americans. Respondents who experienced stressful losses, or whose extended family members experienced such losses, were significantly likely to drink excessively. Results suggest that supportive social resources, particularly extended kinship network and church, can attenuate effects of negative life stressors on drinking. (Author/NB)

Uses the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series to trace race differences in African American family structure between 1880 and 1980. Confirms a long-standing high incidence rate of single parenthood and children residing without their parents. Data also show blacks have had a consistently higher percentage of extended households than have whites. (GLR)

Examined changes over time in household extension and its determinants, using data for 9 years from 240 households in 6 villages in south India. Found that household extension was associated with variables representing life cycle stage, insurance and support needs, and production system requirements. (Author/NB)

In New Zealand, in child abuse or neglect cases, decision making regarding the child's protection is given to his/her extended family. The family provides emergency placement if possible and develops a safety plan. In the 4 years since the implementation of this policy, foster care in some areas has fallen by 90%. The extended family should be involved in planning and implementing foster care of abused or neglected children. (CC)

Investigates the factor structure of a measure of racial socialization attitudes for African American adolescents to determine whether the components of the construct are reliable and measure different phenomena. Four factors, based on research with 200 inner-city adolescents, were found to be very meaningful and moderately reliable. Development of the Scale of Racial Socialization for Adolescents is discussed. (GR)

Presents an analysis, using data from the Children of Immigrants Survey, of the manner in which extended family arrangements, especially the presence of grandparents, is related to national origin, cultural assimilation, and socioeconomic variables. Analysis uncovers the need to treat the presence of grandparents as an independent variable, especially in the cultural assimilation of children of immigrants. (GR)

Reports on a study of the relationship of family role and structure with academic achievement among 2,666 Anglo and 492 Mexican American high school students. Relates behavioral, attitudinal, and structural dimensions of families to students' self-reported grades. Finds that familistic attitudes are important to academic success. (CFR)

Tested proposition that high levels of stress in daughters-in-law in two-generation farm families are correlated with daughters-in-law's lack of integration into extended family and family business systems among 54 daughters-in-law. Quality of relationship with in-laws and perceived lack of decision-making responsibility were significantly negatively correlated with stress. (Author/NB)

Profiles a Puerto Rican family who participated in a cross-cultural ethnographic study of family influence on children's school achievement. This low-income, single-parent household reflects broader Puerto Rican cultural values, including the influence of the extended family, in its support for school achievement. (SLD)

Shows how a working class Chinese-American family prepares its only child for school success. This bilingual child of immigrants is successful academically and socially. The importance of high family expectations and the goal directedness of the parents is emphasized, as is the ambivalence the parents feel toward school. (SLD)

Explores the context of family beliefs and child-rearing practices with regard to how African American families, in a sample from a family-center project, prepare their children for success in school. Extended family and community supports, racial socialization, and family support are discussed. (SLD)

Examines the legal codes of eight Coast Salish tribes. Focuses on gender issues, including the legal statuses of males and females, inheritance, access to tribal jobs and job training, political enfranchisement, child welfare and parental responsibilities, parent rights, and public safety. The codes vary substantially in how they balance individual rights and those of extended family networks. (SV)

Uses data from eight-state survey to explore types and amount of information provided by child welfare workers and agencies to two African American foster parent types--extended family and those derived from organizational tradition (strangers). The traditional group requested and received more information on policies, services, and foster parent role; recommends some possibilities for amelioration. (RAH)

A study examined the role of social support in the mother's adjustment to the birth of a child by drawing on data collected during interviews with 204 mothers when their infants were 1 and 6 months old. (This data was drawn from a longitudinal study of 1,300 children.) At each interview mothers completed questionnaires about their adjustment to parenting. It was found that mothers living in an extended family reported receiving more help and support than mothers in a nuclear family. While help and support in the first month is not directly related to parental adjustment at 6 months, it is indirectly related. Help and support contribute to the mother feeling less restricted by the demands of parenthood at 1 month, which, in turn, is related to her feeling less restricted at 6 months. Mothers who do not receive adequate help and support at 1 month are more likely to feel restricted at 1 month, and these feelings are likely to continue at 6 months. (MDM)

Profile of demographic structure and family relationships among national sample of three-generation African-American families revealed important variation across generations in demographic (age, gender, marital status, socioeconomic status, and region) and family (affection and support) factors. One of most unique features of three-generation sample was high proportion of women. (Author/NB)

Analyzed changes in norms of filial care for elderly parents and expectations of old-age support from children, based on Japanese national surveys. Findings suggest that norms of filial care for elderly parents were fairly constant from 1963 until 1986, when major weakening of norms began. Government efforts to shift burden of caring back to families may be unsuccessful. (Author/NB)

Distinguishes between concepts of household and family, and explores generalized exchange between households within extended families. Adapts conceptions of essential structural differences between generalized and dyadic exchange from Levi-Strauss to evaluate implications of exchange within extended family networks. Presents qualitative and quantitative data from three highland Philippine communities to illustrate conceptions. (Author/NB)

Investigated role of gender, relational status, and family in perceptions of appropriateness of disclosure of human immunodeficiency virus testing information. Findings from 104 dating couples and 98 married couples indicated that participants discriminated clearly among 3 groups of family members. Individuals reported more desire to disclose to marital subsystem, moderate to nuclear subsystem, and least to extended subsystem. (Author/NB)

Examined family support networks and operation of demographic and family network characteristics as determinants of assistance types (financial, emotional, child care) among single and married African-American mothers (n=620). Region, age, household structure, proximity to family, and kin affinity were significant predictors of assistance. Found significant contrasts by marital status of mothers. (Author/NB)

Compared quality of substitute care being provided to children in care of relatives (n=31) by reason of their mothers' incarceration, with care provided by foster parents (n=9). Quality of care from foster families was rated significantly better than care from relatives for 3- to 6-year old children, but equal for infants and toddlers. (Author/NB)