JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE FAMILY STUDIES

Canada (Calgary) 14

SUMMER 1996 - VOLUME 27, NUMBER 2

Special Issue

25th Anniversary

Families in a Changing World

97.14.1 - English - Janet SALTZMAN CHAFETZ and Jacqueline HAGAN, Department of Sociology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004 (U.S.A.)

The gender division of labor and family change in industrial societies: A theoretical accounting (p. 187-220)

Change data for 21 industrial nations for the decades 1960-90 demonstrate overwhelming consistency: women's labor force participation and postsecondary school enrollment rates increased; they married less frequently, especially in their early 20s and they increasingly deferred first births until at least their late 20s; total fertility dropped and crude divorce rates rose. Our theoretical explanation focuses on the social psycological mechanisms that link macro-level labor force changes, with resulting expansion of women's opportunities, to macro-level change in family institution. The relatively unchanging domestic/familial obligations confronted by married women labor force participants, in the absence of significant changes by men and employers, comprises a major context within which family changes are understood. A modified Rational Choice approach is used to argue that women increasingly attempt to satisfice two sets of values whose achievements are socially institutionalized as incompatible: economic and romantic/familial "success." (DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, WOMEN'S STATUS, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT, SEXUAL DIVISION OF LABOUR, FAMILY)

97.14.2 - English - Pat ARMSTRONG, School of Canadian Studies, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6 (Canada)

Resurrecting "The Family": Interring "The State" (p. 221-248)

This article argues that cutbacks in a whole range of social services are transferring to households much of the work once done at the state's expense. These policies are frequently justified as a return of responsibility to families and communities. But, little of this work was ever done in the home and households are ill equipped to handle the burden. Moreover, most of the worsen who are expected to take on this work are unable to do so, both because many lack the necessary skills and because most now have labor force jobs. (SOCIAL POLICY, SOCIAL WORKERS, DEPENDENCY BURDEN, HOUSEHOLD)

97.14.3 - English - Rosanna HERTZ, Department of Sociology, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02181 (U.S.A.), and Faith I. T. FERGUSON, Department of Sociology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254 (U.S.A.)

Childcare choices and constraints in the United States: Social class, race and the influence of family views (p. 249-280)

Childcare which is not subsidized in the United States is the second largest cost couples have. However, cost is not the most important factor in couple's decision making about childcare arrangements. Based on an in-depth interview study of 95 dual-earner families, we argue that these decisions are shaped by race, social class, and the beliefs about mothering. Black families are concerned about finding multi-racial settings for their children in addition to development and emotional concerns which white parents also share. But the greatest differences in decision-making are among social classes: All couples seek to maximize the extent to which they can implement their vision of family life manipulating work scheduling, work satisfaction, economic needs and ideology about childrearing and motherhood. (UNITED STATES, CHILD REARING, PARENTS, LABOUR, DAY CARE CENTRES, DECISION MAKING)

97.14.4 - English - Margrit EICHLER, Department of Sociology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6 (Canada)

The construction of technologically-mediated families (p. 281-308)

This paper examines the New Reproductive and Genetic Technologies from a family perspective, using the Canadian Report of the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies as a case study. A set of usually taken-for-granted descriptive statements about family relations is developed (e.g. children are generated via the reproductive capacities of a woman and a man). It is then demonstrated that the new reproductive technologies overturn these formerly universal facts of life. It is concluded that these technologies are therefore of more importance to family relations than any other current social trend. (CANADA, IN VITRO FERTILIZATION, GENETICS, FAMILY)

97.14.5 - English - Hsiao-Chuan HSIA and John H. SCANZONI, Department of Sociology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 (U.S.A.)

Rethinking the roles of Japanese women (p. 309-330)

The focus of this paper is on re-examining the roles of Japanese women. The so-called Japanese "traditions" are indeed only traditions for samurai class, and only become traditions after Meiji Restoration. Since Japanese are reoriented, women's roles as mothers are highly valued. The fundamental sociopsycological basis of Japanese values is on amae, the mother-child relationship, therefore, Japanese women can exert far more power than we tend to believe. Moreover, Japanese construct their sense of self in relation to others, and the prevalent conflict between self and group in the West is less problematic. It is thus suggested that in cross-cultural comparisons of women's roles, we have to examine them in their indigenous cultural context. (JAPAN, VALUE SYSTEMS, WOMEN'S ROLE)

97.14.6 - English - John C. CALDWELL, The Australian National University, Health Transition Centre, GPO Box 4, Canberra Act, 2601 (Australia)

The demographic implications of West African family systems (p. 331-352)

West African families are characterized by strong lineage emotional and economic bonds and relatively weak bonds between spouses. Marriage is often unstable and a high proportion of children are reared by couples containing only one or none of the children's parents. Spouses typically maintain separate budgets. The implications for children's health treatment are the following. (1) The parent who pays usually decides which treatment to employ. (2) Mothers are usually concerned with minor illnesses and less expensive treatments and fathers with major sicknesses. (3) Children being reared in the same household, but where one or both parents are different may receive very different levels of health care. The implications for fertility are that the families of origin of both wives and husbands - but chiefly the latter - participate in fertility control decisions. In a situation where much of the expense of rearing children falls on the mother, but where her husband usually makes the fertility control decisions and benefits most from children's assistance in later life, low levels of fertility control and high levels of fertility are almost inevitable. (WESTERN AFRICA, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, FAMILY LIFE, FERTILITY DETERMINANTS)

97.14.7 - English - Gary R. LEE, Department of Sociology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 (U.S.A.)

Economies and families: A further investigation of the curvilinear hypothesis (p. 353-372)

This study re-examines the relationship between societal complexity and familial complexity posited by Blumberg and Winch (1972). Their analysis of ethnographic data employed a dependent variable structure and marital structure, although their theory was exclusively directed toward family structure. Here, employing the same data but with family and marital structure treated as separate dimensions, we find that several components of societal complexity predict the occurrence of frequent polygyny much more effectively than they predict variation in family structure. Implications for further theoretical development are discussed. (SOCIOLOGY, FAMILY DEMOGRAPHY, POLYGAMY, THEORY)

97.14.8 - English - Kevin MARJORIBANKS, Department of Sociology, The Vice-Chancellor, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005 (Australia)

Family learning environments and students' outcomes: A review (p. 373-394)

Research is reviewed that has examined relationships between family learning environments and students' school-related outcomes. Studies are organized into three. general categories which have been labeled as socio-arithmetic environmental research, family strucural characteristics, and environmental press of families. The review suggests that students'learning outcomes should be considered as being embedded in status structures defined by gender, ethnicity, and social class and that within those encompassing structures, studentoutcomes are influenced by the allocation and socialisation characteristics of families. (SCHOOL SUCCESS, FAMILY ENVIRONMENT, RESEARCH METHODS)

97.14.9 - English - Jan TROST, Department of Sociology, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden)

Family structure and relationships: The dyadic approach (p. 395-408)

Many attempts have been made at defining family and most have been successful. By successful I mean here that the definitions have been accepted by an important number of followers. But the definitions have all been seriously questioned by others and have in this respect not been successful. Like some others, I stress that there is no family in singular and definite article, there are families, plural and not any definite article. Any group consists of at least two members and I suggest that any group be analysed with a dyadic approach. With this approach one can analyse the structure of any family; one can as well study the existence of emotional ties in the dyadic structure of a family; one can analyse the power structure in a family by looking at the power structure os all dyads;. just to mention some examples of dyadic analysis. This theoretical and analytic tool can be applied not only in research but also in, for example, therapy. (SOCIOLOGY, FAMILY, RESEARCH METHODS)

97.14.10 - English - Dan A. CHEKKI, Department of Sociology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 (Canada)

Family values and family change (p. 409-413)

There has been much debate about family values by religious and political leaders, feminists and youth. Traditional and modern family values often clash creating confusion and controversy. The mass media portrays the apparent lack of consensus on a common set of family values. This paper attempts to present an overview of the traditional Hindu view of life with special reference to marriage and family life. Recent changes in Hindu family values and behavior are examined and references to the Western Culture and its problems are made. The author emphasizes the relevance of the Hindu family values in the contemporary world. (HINDUISM, VALUE SYSTEMS, FAMILY, TRADITION, MODERNIZATION)

AUTUMN 1996 - VOLUME 27, NUMBER 3

97.14.11 - English - Céline LE BOURDAIS, Institut national de la recherche scientifique INRS-Urbanisation, 3465 rue Durocher, Montréal, Qué., H2X 2C6 (Canada), and Nicole MARCIL-GRATTON, Département de démographie, Université de Montréal, Case postale 6128, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Qué., H3C 3J7 (Canada)

Family transformations across the Canadian/American border: When the laggard becomes the leader (p. 415-436)

The United States and Canada have experienced similar demographic trends over the past 50 years: the decline in fertility observed after the post-war "baby-boom", the decrease of nuptiality that began in the 1970s, and the subsequent increases in divortiality and common-law marriages have significantly altered the conjugal and familial trajectories of both Canadians and Americans. In spite of these similar trends, certain differences do, however, separate the two countries. First, the demographic changes began to occur later in Canada, bringing some analysts, such as Ryder, to declare this country to be a "generation behind" its southern neighbor, at least concerning the level of fertility. Recently, several of Canada's family life indicators have reversed the traditional trends, with a surge forward which may bring them closer to being "a generation ahead" of those in the US, as we show in this article. We also point to the fundamental role of trends in French-speaking Québec in distinguishing Canadian demographic indicators; without Québec's specific conservatism in the past and today's tremendous reversal of its marital and fertility behaviors, Canada's kinship with the US would be far more obvious. (CANADA, UNITED STATES, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, FERTILITY TRENDS, NUPTIALITY)

97.14.12 - English - Zheng WU, Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3050, Victoria, BC V8W 3P5 (Canada), and Douglas E. BAER, Department of Sociology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C2 (Canada)

Attitudes toward family life and gender roles: A comparison of English and French Canadian women (p. 437-452)

Drawing on normative theory of fertility, this study examines the differences between English and French Canadians with respect to their attitudes toward marriage, childbearing and gender roles. A national sample of women in their reproductive years is drawn from the first Canadian fertility survey and analyzed using structural equation model techniques. The results suggest that there is a significant gap between anglophone and francophone Canadians in these attitudes. This gap remains significant after controlling for religion and other personal factors. Anglophones generally are both more committed to traditional family values and less supportive of egalitarian gender roles than are francophones. Francophones, however, are found to place greater emphasis on the importance of having children than anglophones. The implications of these results are discussed. (CANADA, LINGUISTIC GROUPS, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, ATTITUDE, WOMEN)

97.14.13 - English - Parvin GHORAYSHI, Department of Sociology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 (Canada)

Women, paid-work and the family in the Islamic Republic of Iran (p. 453-466)

My focus, in this study, is on female wage and salary earners in the formal sector of the economy in the Islamic Republic of Iran. I base this inquiry on both quantitative and qualitative data. I rely on women's experience to discuss the impact of paid-work on their family lives. My data portray a complex relationship between paid-work and women's position in the family. Working women are disadvantaged and face difficulties, but paid-employment enables them to enhance their position at the micro-level. However,women's ability to negotiate for change is limited when they occupy unequal position within sexual division of labour, face a tension between traditional and modern values, and have to rely on their family and personal relationships to perform their multiple tasks. (IRAN, WOMEN'S STATUS, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT, SEXUAL DIVISION OF LABOUR)

97.14.14 - English - Anand SINGH, Department of Anthropology, University of Durban-Westville, Durban 4000 (South Africa)

Variation and fluidity in household composition in Phoenix, Durban (p. 467-484)

Discourse on the domestic patterns of South African Indians is generally articulated in terms of the patrilineally -- patriarchally based joint families. This paper produces evidence of varying types of domestic structures amongst lower class Indians which do not conform to this conventional notion. Through the use of case studies it demonstrates the difficulty in applying a single model, such as the development cycle, to such a variation. It argues that they are best understood in terms of the notion of household, which refers to two types of aggregation of individuals. The first type is characterized by an aggregation of genealogically related individuals only, which permits continuous oscillation between nuclear styled families according to resources and convenience. And the second is an aggregation of kin and non-kin members who are Durban City Council tenants and illegal sub-tenants respectively, in which there is a high turnover of the latter because of the inability to meet financial commitments and social expectations. The data infers that any synchronic analysis of domestic structures characterized by such impermanence must have resonance with the dynamics of the diachronic time frame. (SOUTH AFRICA, ETHNIC GROUPS, HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION)

97.14.15 - English - Janet REIS, Department of Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820 (U.S.A.)

A descriptive study of African-American mother-child communication about drugs and health (p. 485-498)

One hundred African-American mothers and their 8 to 12 year-old children volunteered for interviews on health and family interactions. Mothers stressed appropriate drug use, nutrition, and exercise relying primarily on neutral statements of value and questions in their communication. Virtually no agreement was found between mother's and child's views on drug use, education, or family dynamics. The mother's concerns about health, observed difficulties in communication, and perception of the need for help in teaching their children underscore the importance of health education and general assistance with communication skills. The potential for such interventions is discussed within the current realities of African-American family life in inner city communities. (UNITED STATES, BLACKS, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, HEALTH EDUCATION)

97.14.16 - English - Helena WILLEN, Department of Psychology, Göteborg University, Göteborg (Sweden), and Henry MONTGOMERY, Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm (Sweden)

The impact of wish for children and having children on the attainment and importance of life values (p. 499-518)

A total of 190 married Swedish couples were asked to make attainment and importance ratings of 90 life values. The selection of values was guided by their relevance for the family domain. Questions were also given about sociodemographic background factors and about the strength of wish for having a child in the next three years. A principal component analysis indicated that life values were structured in terms of the factors Love/Security, Personal development, Altruisitic values, Material standard, Maturity, Caring values, Freedom and Selfcentered values. LISREL analyses yielded a good fit of the following causal model: Family size and duration of marriage affect negatively the wish for having a child, which in turn exert a positive influence on the attainment of a large variety of values (particularly for males), which in turn influence positively the importance of the same values. This model suggests a "Catch 22" of marriage: The wish for a child fuels marital happiness, but the implementation of this wish reduces the happiness. (SWEDEN, VALUE SYSTEMS, DESIRED FAMILY SIZE, FAMILY SIZE, SATISFACTION)

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