Biosocial Perspectives on the Family

New theoretical models conceptualize families as systems affected by, and effecting change in, reciprocal influences among social, behavioral, and biological processes. Technological breakthroughs make noninvasive assessment of many biological processes available to family researchers. These theoretical and measurement advances have resulted in significant increases in research on family processes and relationships that integrate knowledge from the fields of behavioral endocrinology, behavior genetics, and, to a lesser degree, evolutionary psychology. This review covers a broad spectrum, including the topics of parenthood, early child development, adolescent and middle child development, parent‐child relations, courtship and mate selection, and the quality and stability of marital and intimate relations. Our intention is to introduce, by example, the relevance of the biosocial approach, encourage family researchers to consider the application of these ideas to their interests, and increase the participation of family researchers in the next generation of studies.     

The "Antidemocratic Personality" Revisited: A Cross-National Investigation of Working-Class Authoritarianism

More than 60 years ago, psychologists identified a potential threat to democracy from within, namely the "antidemocratic personality" arising from the "authoritarian syndrome." It was soon discovered that the problem of authoritarianism was especially acute among those who were low in education and income, and that it was associated with intolerance toward others. However, several important questions were left unresolved. We revisit fundamental theoretical and empirical questions concerning the existence and nature of "working-class authoritarianism," focusing especially on four psychological aspects of authoritarianism, namely, conventionalism, moral absolutism, obedience to authority, and cynicism. In a cross-national investigation involving respondents from 19 democratic countries, we find that all four aspects of authoritarianism are indeed related to moral and ethnic intolerance. However, only obedience to authority and cynicism are especially prevalent among those who are low in socioeconomic status. Conventionalism and moral absolutism were significant predictors of economic conservatism, whereas obedience to authority and cynicism were not. We find no support for Lipset's (1960) claim that working-class authoritarianism would be associated with economic liberalism. Instead, we find that authoritarianism is linked to right-wing orientation in general and that intolerance mediates this relationship. Implications for electoral politics and political psychology are discussed.     

Use of Play in Parenting and Family Groups

Parents who play with their children are more likely to have a strong parent-child attachment. Including play in parenting and family groups can help build parent-child relationships. However, little is written about how to include play in existing protocols for parenting and family groups. This article explores how a multi-family group used playful activities to build client engagement, scaffold parent skills in using play, and increase parents’ willingness to play with their children at home. It concludes by providing a list of play activities which can be easily integrated into parenting and family groups.     

U.S. Hispanics: A demographic and issue profile

This paper highlights sociodemographic characteristics of Hispanics and extrapolates issues attendant to this large and growing segment of American society. Educational, political, and economic issues are considered.This article was presented at the 40th California History Institute sponsored by the Holt-Atherton center for Western Studies, the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, April 24–25, 1987.     

From after-school to expanded learning: a decade of progress

Following a decade of rapid expansion of afterschool enrichment programs, leaders in the field are rethinking how those programs can be designed to play a larger role in supporting student achievement and development and in strengthening school reform initiatives.     

EXPANSIONARY AUSTERITY? INTERNATIONAL EVIDENCE

This paper investigates the short‐term effects of fiscal consolidation on economic activity in OECD economies. We examine contemporaneous policy documents to identify changes in fiscal policy motivated by a desire to reduce the budget deficit and not by responding to prospective economic conditions. Using this new dataset, our estimates suggest that fiscal consolidation has contractionary effects on private demand and GDP. By contrast, estimates based on conventional measures of the fiscal policy stance used in the literature support the expansionary fiscal contractions hypothesis but appear to be biased toward overstating expansionary effects.     

Computable general equilibrium models for trade policy analysis in developing countries: A survey

This paper surveys the contributions of computable general equilibrium (CGE) simulation models designed to quantify the implications of alternative trade policy scenarios in developing countries. The paper starts with a review of the basic structure of CGE models, using a one-sector model with product differentiation on the import and export side. The basic properties of CGE models are established and a series of applications to trade policy, internal-external balance and growth, and intertemporal issues are discussed.     

Precursors of Young Women's Family Formation Pathways

We used latent class analysis to create family formation pathways for women between the ages of 18 and 23. Input variables included cohabitation, marriage, parenthood, full-time employment, and attending school. Data (n = 2,290) came from Waves I and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The analysis revealed seven latent pathways: college-no family formation (29%), high school-no family formation (19%), cohabitation without children (15%), married mothers (14%), single mothers (10%), cohabiting mothers (8%), and inactive (6%). Three sets of variables distinguished between the groups: personal and social resources in adolescence, family socioeconomic resources and adolescent academic achievement, and conservative values and behavior in adolescence.