Family relationships beyond the household

Psychological difficulties among children seem to explode evidently, principally those in low socio-economic status. The study examines the impact of familial factors and life satisfaction toward risk of psychological difficulties among children. The risk of psychological difficulties is defined by parent-rated SDQ score (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). The findings show the significant relationship within family, particularly child caregiver’s mental health. The mental health of caregiver measured by SRQ score is positively correlated with the psychological difficulties among children assessed by SDQ score. Even the caregivers are children’s own mother or not, the mental health of caregivers is significant for psychological well-being on children. The inverse relation patterns are found, however. When child age is growing, risk of psychological difficulties among children is decreased. The same pattern of relationship can be found between family function and satisfaction on friendship, and psychological difficulties on children. If the family function score is up, risk of psychological difficulties among children is reduced. In addition, friendship is significant related to the decreased SDQ score, even the number of friends is not significantly included in the model.

Research on the wellbeing of migrant populations generally focuses on factors related to the receiving country context. At the same time, migrants are increasingly living in transnational families with some of their nuclear family members living in the country of origin. Qualitative transnational migration studies point out that living apart can have wellbeing consequences for migrant parents. This paper examines the wellbeing of parents in transnational child raising arrangements where at least one of their children has remained in the origin country. We investigate the impact of such family arrangements on migrants’ wellbeing using cross-country data on 900 African migrants (Ghanaians, Angolans, and Nigerians) in three European countries (The Netherlands, Portugal, and Ireland, respectively). Migrant parents in transnational families are compared with a control group of migrant parents who live with all of their children in the receiving country. Preliminary descriptive results indicate that parents in a transnational child raising arrangements are worse off in their wellbeing compared to parents who live with their children. We use regression analysis to examine whether these results remain after controlling for individual migrant, family, as well as sending and receiving country contextual characteristics.

As part of a research program that examines family and life course factors that increase the vulnerability and resilience of individuals, this study focuses on unattached men and women at mid-life aged 45 to 64. Using the Censuses, we examine the trends in men and women living alone, and their poverty level since 1991. With data from the 2006 General Social Survey, we then examine the economic and social well-being at mid-life and the differentials by gender, marital status and union trajectories. Salient differences include: while the proportions of separated and divorced men and women are almost equal, women are more likely to be widowed and men are more likely to have never married; both the separated men and women are the least likely to be satisfied with life; in contrast, widows are more satisfied with life than widowers, possibly because widows report more relatives they could turn to; separated and divorced men are more likely to be in a better financial position, whereas never married women are more likely to be so than their separated and divorced counterparts.

Identifying what « single parent household » are becomes a challenging task in an era of new family forms and related legislations regulating the care and responsibilities of children. Official statistics hardly reflect a composite reality of households between which children circulate and where parental relationships with biological and non-biological parents change during the life course. On the basis of an explorative qualitative study in Switzerland, we focus of the blurry borders of single parent households and on the life course pattern of individuals living as solo parents. We analyze the life course of individuals whose entry to the single parent state fits one of these two patterns: a) becoming single parent as the consequence of a couple project which got interrupted (separation, divorce, or widowhood) ; b) single parent in the absence of a couple project (contraceptive failure, partner non acceptance of parenthood, single parenthood as a life choice). We propose a multidimensional definition of single parents that takes into account both the objective life trajectories of parents and children and subjective dimension of individuals categorized as single parents. We highlight the importance of a longitudinal perspective on single parent households to understand their dynamics and to develop better-adapted policies to

Despite much debate about what kind of physical custody arrangements is in the “best interest of children”, there are still rather few studies examining the dynamics of these arrangements in the years following parental separation. Researchers who do work on the issue of post-separation parenting arrangements' duration usually use divorce court-order samples that are not representative of the general population of separating couples. Moreover, their conclusions often contradict one another; some find that dual residence arrangements are very unstable while some actually find much stability. We argue that these divergences are partly the result of an improper account of the effect of time on living arrangements' stability. We use population-based longitudinal survey data representative of the cohort of children born in the Canadian province of Quebec in 1997-1998. We use continuous-time event-history analysis to identify patterns in the timing of transition from one type of parenting arrangement to another. Cox regression models allow us to measure the association of various characteristics of parents and children with this transition process.

This paper aims to assess the relations between experience of premarital heterosexual liaisons and marital timing and identify the effect of experience of various premarital heterosexual intimacy on elevated age at first marriage among young educated men and women in Tehran. This paper is based on the quantitative part of a cross sectional mix method study which designed to assess the influence of premarital heterosexual liaisons on marriage, divorce and marital satisfaction. 2031 university students aged 18-40 from among 7 universities (both public and private) in Tehran were selected, using two stage stratified cluster sampling. Data collection was completed between January 2010 and May 2011. The survey instrument was an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. The mean age of college students was 22.5, 12% of college students were married. The mean age of marriage among those who reported experience of more than 3 premarital heterosexual liaisons was significantly greater than those who reported fewer premarital heterosexual relationships (24.5 Vs. 22.7, P<0.05). In addition, mean age at marriage among young people who reported premarital sexual relationships was significantly greater than those who did not report such relations (24.9 vs. 5.22, P<0.001).

This paper explores family and non-family factors contributing to subjective well- being (SWB) among population aged 60 and over in Thailand. Data come from the Survey of Older Population in 2011(n =20,517). Based on regression analyses, non-family factors are more important than family factors in explaining the variations in older adults’ SWB. Regarding the non-family domain, those who reported highest self-rated health and highest level of satisfaction with financial status had the highest level of SWB. Regarding family factors, family structure is not as important as trust that family members will take good care of them when ill. In addition, the findings reveal that, as opposed to living with at least one child, older adults living with spouses (with no children) reported highest SWB while those living in skip generation households reported the lowest SWB, controlling for family support, socioeconomic, health, and demographic factors.

This study examines gender differences in the effects of household members (e.g., spouse, child, extended kin) on older adult’s social networks and social supports. As older men and women experience different expectations and obligations attached to their household roles, the same type of household members can be resources (connectors) for men and be costs (constraints) for women, and vice versa. Using data from the 2005-2006 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), the study finds that a spouse connects older men to large social networks and more social support than single, but a spouse for women is only associated with more support. Coresident adult children and young relatives constrain married men for large networks, while adult children connect single older men to a large networks and more support. The results are the opposite for older women: adult children constrain single older women to have large networks while young relatives connect married older women. Findings provide additional insight into the processes through which gender differences in potential support providers emerge at older age.

Fertility has declined across several Indian states of late (1970s), with varying historical points of onset and pace of decline. Women in Uttar Pradesh still bear four children due to interplay of socioeconomic, demographic and cultural factors. Rarely role of diffusion was examined in precipitating fertility change in the India. To investigate the role of women’s social network towards determining contraceptive method choice in rural Uttar Pradesh, India. The study is based on egocentric social network data from 567 women 18-35 years. The results indicate weak association between discussion on matters of family planning (MoFP) and contraceptive method use. However, adjusting for interaction term, the discussion of MoFP and density of SNP discourage women to use contraceptive methods. This suggests operation of social influence to sustain high fertility in the study area.

The past decades have been characterized by a considerable postponement of childbearing behaviours. Given that women who postpone childbearing come, on average, from higher educational and social strata, children of older mothers are expected to benefit from this process. However, evidence presented by the “weathering” hypothesis literature suggests that ethnic minority children do not necessarily benefit from their mothers’ older age at (first) birth, suggesting that the process and outcome of postponement could be seen as qualitatively different processes for subgroups of the population. In light of these differences, it is important to consider whether any other aspect of the family sphere, in addition to/or rather than socioeconomic status, alters as maternal age at (first) birth increases. For example, knowledge of whether patterns of kin support change with increasing maternal age at birth is not well-established. This is an oversight as diminished participation in kin networks could have negative consequences for ethnic minority mothers and their children as it could be associated with more stressful and difficult pregnancies. This paper intends to investigate whether in the U.K. patterns of kin support change with increasing maternal age at birth and differently across ethnic groups.