Family Matters articles from December 2004

Family Matters archives from December 2004

Acting director's report.
December 22, 2004... New Principal Research Fellow for Institute I am pleased to announce that Michael Alexander has accepted the position of Principal Research Fellow heading the Family and Society research program at the Australian Institute of Family...

Becoming adult in the 2000s: new transitions and new careers: young people who are becoming adult in the 2000s are shaping new life patterns as they engage with contemporary social and economic conditions. Yet many of the frameworks that inform current thinking about the process of growing up derive from an era in which different conditions and options prevailed.
December 22, 2004... When considering the patterns of youth transitions from education to the workforce there is a widespread tendency to focus on the "problematic" nature of such transition processes. Ever since the full-time youth labour market began its demise...

At risk but not antisocial: changes from childhood to adolescence: while much is known about the risk factors associated with adolescent antisocial behaviour, less is known about the factors that might promote resilience against this outcome. Suzanne Vasallo, Diana Smart, Ann Sanson and Inez Dussuyer explore this issue drawing on data from the Australian Temperament Project.
December 22, 2004... All societies are governed by a common understanding of how people should act in given situations. These guidelines are referred to as "norms" find generally reflect the values of a particular society (Harper 1997). Acts or behaviours that run...

Young people and mentoring: time for a national strategy.
December 22, 2004... The Australian Government funds a range of mentoring programs for young people. In April 2004 the Federal Opposition promised to create 10,000 new mentors over the next three years. In May 2004 three leading non-government organisations...

Levels and family correlates of positive adolescent development: a cross-national comparison.
December 22, 2004... Understanding positive youth development is crucial to inform prevention and intervention programs for behavioural and emotional problems, and to foster positive behaviour. This article reports the levels of positive school engagement, and...

Separate selves, tribal ties, and other stories: making sense of different accounts of youth: are young people having the time of their lives, or struggling with life in their times? Research findings and commentaries on young people are often a recipe for confusion.(Opinion)
December 22, 2004... In a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly, the American Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Ron Powers (2002) warns of an "apocalyptic nihilism" that is infecting the nation's children. Americans need a "societal shift in consciousness" to...

Forming couple relationships: adolescents' aspirations and young adults' actualities: the number of people living without a partner has increased substantially over the last few decades. Are men and women shirking the idea of marriage and long-term relationships, or are they having difficulties in forming a satisfying couple relationship?(Trends)
December 22, 2004... During the marriage boom of the 1950s and 1960s women tended to leave home at age 20 or 21 to marry men who were also in their early twenties. At the time, being the odd one out by not marrying elicited quite different labels for women and men....

Revisiting America's "date rape" controversy.(Opinion)
December 22, 2004... Increased interest in researching violence against women, along with prevention initiatives and growing public awareness of the problem, is to be welcomed. But could such attention trigger a backlash? There has been a general reluctance to...

Institute staff farewell Acting Director.(Australian Institute of Family Studies )
December 22, 2004... One of the most significant events to affect the Australian Institute of Family Studies this year has been the departure of our Acting Director, Ann Sanson, on 30 July 2004. After four and half years at the Institute, the last 18 months as...

Institute Conference 2005.(AIFS Activities)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2004... The Australian Institute of Family Studies invites submissions from people interested in presenting papers, symposia or workshops at the Ninth Australian institute of Family Studies Conference, to be held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on...

AIFS abroad--Ghent.(Australian Institute of Family Studies )(Brief Article)
December 22, 2004... Two Institute researchers were among about 1300 delegates from more than 30 countries attending the meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD), held in July 2004 in Ghent, Belgium. Ann Sanson...

Institute hosts SFLEX seminar.(AIFS Activities)(Stronger Families Learning Exchange)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2004... Evan Lewis from the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services was among several speakers who addressed a seminar on Sustainability and Evaluation, organised by the Stronger Families Learning Exchange (SFLEX) team. Evan...

AIFS abroad--Edinburgh.(Australian Institute of Family Studies )
December 22, 2004... Three Institute researchers recently presented papers at a large international conference on work and family life. Titled "Work-Life Balance Across the Lifecourse", the conference was held at the Centre for Research on Families and...

Family Matters is a refereed journal.(Family Matters)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2004... Readers are reminded that Family Matters is a fully refereed academic journal, recognised by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) for the purposes of Research Data Collection, and included in the Register of Refereed...

AIFS seminars 2004.(Calendar)
December 22, 2004... In 2004 the Australian Institute of Family Studies continued its series of public seminars presenting contemporary research on national and international issues related to family. Mental health and the family law system (Seminar held...

Seminar program 2004.(AIFS Seminars 2004)(Calendar)
December 22, 2004... In 2004 the Australian Institute of Family Studies is continuing its series of seminars presenting research on national and international issues related to family. The seminars, designed to promote a forum for discussion and debate, are free...

A timely forum on families in the East Asia region.(Conference Report)(Australian Institute of Family Studies)
December 22, 2004... In April 2004, the Australian Institute of Family Studies was invited to attend the East Asia Ministerial Forum on Families. The forum was co-hosted by the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services and the Vietnam...

DNA paternity testing without the knowledge or consent of the mother: new technology, new choices, new debates.
December 22, 2004... New technologies are creating new choices and dilemmas in contemporary families. DNA parentage testing exemplifies this process. This article examines the contentious issue of DNA paternity testing without the knowledge or consent of the...

The value mothers place on paid work and their feelings of life control: generally, the value mothers place on paid work in their lives is closely matched to their labour force status. But sometimes there is a mismatch. Jennifer Renda and Jody Hughes look at whether those mothers with a mismatch feel less in control of their lives in general.
December 22, 2004... The proportion of mothers participating in the paid workforce has increased dramatically over recent years, from 45.3 per cent in 1983 to 64.2 per cent in 2003 (ABS 2003). As a result, a great deal of research attention has been paid to the...

Young Aboriginal Fathers Project: Research Reports.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Young Aboriginal Fathers Project: Research report, by Craig Hammond, Richard Fletcher, John Lester and Sue Pascoe, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2003. Price: $27.50. This publication is part of the Family Action Centre's, Engaging...

The sociology of gender: an introduction to theory and research.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... The sociology of gender: An introduction to theory and research, by Amy S. Wharton, Blackwell Publishing, Malden, 2004. This introductory text covers the following topics: the gendered person; gender in interactions and institutions; work...

Family policy matters: Responding to family change in Europe.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Family policy matters: Responding to family change in Europe, by Linda Hantrais, Policy Press, Bristol, 2004. Price: UK 23.99. Changing family living arrangements have created debate about socio-economic trends, family wellbeing and...

Communication among grandmother, mothers and adult daughter: a qualitative study of maternal relationships.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Communication among grandmothers, mothers and adult daughters: A qualitative study of maternal relationships, by Michelle A. Miller-Day, Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, 2004. Price: US 29.95. This work builds on the author's previous research...

Well and good: How we feel and why it matters.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2004... Well and good: How we feel and why it matters, by Richard Eckersley, Text Publishing, Melbourne, 2004. Price: $32.00. "Is life getting better or worse?" this is the answer that the author attempts to answer. Taking a broad brush approach,...

Attitudes to flexible working and family life.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Attitudes to flexible working and family life, by Diane M. Houston and Julie A. Waumsley, Policy Press, Bristol, 2003. Price: UK 14.95. This report focuses on work life balance in the United kingdom. Responses from over 1,500 members of a...

Family investments in children's potential: Resources and parenting behaviours that promote success.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Family investments in children's potential: Resources and parenting behaviours that promote success, Edited by Ariel Kalil and Thomas DeLeire, Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, 2004. Is it what parents have or what they do that matter for children?...

Youth and society: Exploring the social dynamics of youth experience.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Youth and society: Exploring the social dynamics of youth experience, by Rob White and Johanna Wyn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, 2004. Price: $44.95. This Australian textbook provides a comprehensive overview of young people's...

Conferences.(Calendar)
December 22, 2004... This short selection of forthcoming family-related conferences is taken from the Australian Institute of Family Studies Internet conference listing, which is updated weekly. For the complete, up-to-date list, refer to www....

Caring for children after separation.(New)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2004... Parent-child contact and post-separation parenting arrangements, Edited by Bruce Smyth, AIFS Research Report No. 9, June 2004. 156 pages. Also available online. In Australia, as elsewhere, not a great deal is known about the "nuts and...

Diversity and change in Australian families.(Forthcoming)(Book Review)
December 22, 2004... Diversity and change in Australian families: Statistical profiles, by David de Vaus, Australian Institute of Family Studies, September 2004. 352 pages. Price $50.00 plus $5.00 postage and handling. Even a fleeting familiarity with family...