A longitudinal examination of the membership patterns of minorities and women in referral unions

In an examination of the membership patterns of minorities and women in building and nonbuilding trade referral unions between 1969 and 1979, results reveal that variations in referral union membership can be substantially accounted for by race and sex. Longitudinally, no meaningful changes in the racial composition of referral unions exist, while the sexual composition within building and nonbuilding trade union categories change significantly over time. More importantly, however, male / female representation patterns across both referral union categories over the ten-year period remain fairly constant relative to one another.     

Changes in the Family

SUMMARY. Written during a period of rapid change, this paper analyses a number of factors which are combining to create a changing world for children. Demographic trends are leading to lower fertility, declining populations and increasing longevity; the norms of traditional family life are weakening with increases in marital breakdown, single parenthood and births outside marriage; and this is compounded by a deterioration in the support services of the welfare state. It is argued that parents cannot escape responsibility for their children, but as increasingly individualistic value systems give greater freedom to adults, it is suggested that these gains might be at the expense of the children. The paper concludes by looking at possibilities for change, so that the quality of childhood essential to civilisation may be restored.