National Symposium on Family Issues – serie

Biosocial Research Contributions to Family Processes and Problems, based on the 17th annual National Symposium on Family Issues, examines biosocial models and processes in the context of the family. Research on both biological and social/environmental influences on behavior, health, and development is represented, including behavioral endocrinology, behavior genetics, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, sociology, demography, anthropology, economics, and psychology. The authors consider physiological and social environmental influences on parenting and early childhood development, followed by adolescent adjustment, and family formation. Also, factors that influence how families adapt to social inequalities are examined.

Early Adulthood in a Family Context, based on the 18th annual National Symposium on Family Issues, emphasizes the importance of both the family of origin and new and highly variable types of family formation experiences that occur in early adulthood. This volume showcases new theoretical, methodological, and measurement insights in hopes of advancing understanding of the influence of the family of origin on young adults' lives. Both family resources and constraints with respect to economic, social, and human capital are considered.

Biosocial Research Contributions to Family Processes and Problems, based on the 17th annual National Symposium on Family Issues, examines biosocial models and processes in the context of the family. Research on both biological and social/environmental influences on behavior, health, and development is represented, including behavioral endocrinology, behavior genetics, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, sociology, demography, anthropology, economics, and psychology. The authors consider physiological and social environmental influences on parenting and early childhood development, followed by adolescent adjustment, and family formation. Also, factors that influence how families adapt to social inequalities are examined.

​​In recent years, there has been an explosion of research on the early origins of adult health. A growing body of evidence documents that maternal health before conception, prenatal and perinatal exposures, and conditions in childhood play critical roles in health over the life course. Scientific understanding of the multiple and interacting influences on child health and their role in later health continues to evolve rapidly, but greater attention to how families shape the conditions of early life that underlie childhood health is needed. This volume aims to advance understanding of this topic, with attention to mechanisms through which health disparities emerge and are sustained across the lifespan.​

Early Adulthood in a Family Context, based on the 18th annual National Symposium on Family Issues, emphasizes the importance of both the family of origin and new and highly variable types of family formation experiences that occur in early adulthood. This volume showcases new theoretical, methodological, and measurement insights in hopes of advancing understanding of the influence of the family of origin on young adults' lives. Both family resources and constraints with respect to economic, social, and human capital are considered.

​​In recent years, there has been an explosion of research on the early origins of adult health. A growing body of evidence documents that maternal health before conception, prenatal and perinatal exposures, and conditions in childhood play critical roles in health over the life course. Scientific understanding of the multiple and interacting influences on child health and their role in later health continues to evolve rapidly, but greater attention to how families shape the conditions of early life that underlie childhood health is needed. This volume aims to advance understanding of this topic, with attention to mechanisms through which health disparities emerge and are sustained across the lifespan.​

This timely reference takes a rigorous look at the myriad ways technology, from smartphones to dating apps to social media, is affecting family life and opening new areas for study.  The book features cross-disciplinary perspectives on current trends in the role of technology in couple and family contexts. It focuses on the roles of parents in monitoring children’s screen time, of technology in relationship formation, and of technology in changing family dynamics.  Nuanced coverage considers the emerging conflicts and paradoxes associated with digital family life—closeness versus isolation, children versus parents as experts, and privacy versus surveillance. Contributors also identify new research opportunities as family roles and structures continue to evolve and technology becomes a greater lens for family studies.Among the topics covered:How parents manage young children’s mobile media useAdolescents as the family technology innovatorsOnline dating: changing intimacy one swipe at a timeTechnology in relational systems: roles, rules, and boundariesTelevision “effects” on international family changeInterplay between families and technology: future investigationsFamilies and Technology is a valuable resource for researchers and students in the fields of family studies, sociology, marriage and family therapy, social welfare, public health, and psychology. The book also appeals to policymakers and human services personnel dedicated to better understanding the impact of rapidly spreading technologies on families around the globe.

This book examines the implications of rural residence for adolescents and families in the United States, addressing both the developmental and mental health difficulties they face. Special attention is given to the unique circumstances of minority families residing in rural areas and how these families navigate challenges as well as their sources of resilience. Chapters describe approaches for enhancing the well-being of rural minority youth and their families. In addition, chapters discuss the challenges of conducting research within rural populations and propose new frameworks for studying these diverse communities. Finally, the volume offers recommendations for reducing the barriers to health and positive development in rural settings.Featured topics include:Changes in work and family structures in the rural United States.Rural job loss to offshoring and automation.The opioid crisis in the rural United States.Prosocial behaviors in rural U.S. Latino/a youth.Demographic changes across nonmetropolitan areas.  Rural Families and Communities in the United States is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology, family studies, public health as well as numerous interrelated disciplines, including sociology, demography, social work, prevention science, educational policy, political science, and economics.

This book examines the implications of rural residence for adolescents and families in the United States, addressing both the developmental and mental health difficulties they face. Special attention is given to the unique circumstances of minority families residing in rural areas and how these families navigate challenges as well as their sources of resilience. Chapters describe approaches for enhancing the well-being of rural minority youth and their families. In addition, chapters discuss the challenges of conducting research within rural populations and propose new frameworks for studying these diverse communities. Finally, the volume offers recommendations for reducing the barriers to health and positive development in rural settings.Featured topics include:Changes in work and family structures in the rural United States.Rural job loss to offshoring and automation.The opioid crisis in the rural United States.Prosocial behaviors in rural U.S. Latino/a youth.Demographic changes across nonmetropolitan areas.  Rural Families and Communities in the United States is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology, family studies, public health as well as numerous interrelated disciplines, including sociology, demography, social work, prevention science, educational policy, political science, and economics.

This book examines the many roles of families in their members’ food access, preferences, and consumption. It provides an overview of factors – from micro- to macro-levels – that have been linked to food insecurity and discusses policy approaches to reducing food insecurity and hunger. In addition, it addresses the links between food insecurity and overweight and obesity. The book describes changes in the U.S. food environment that may explain increases in obesity during recent decades. It explores relationships between parenting practices and the development of eating behaviors in children, highlighting the importance of family mealtimes in healthful eating. The volume provides an overview of efforts to prevent or reduce obesity in children, with attention to minority populations and discusses research findings on targets for obesity prevention, including a focus on fathers as change agents who play a crucial, yet understudied, role in food parenting. The book acknowledges that with the current obesigenic environment in the United States and elsewhere around the world, additional and innovative efforts are needed to foster healthful eating behavior and orientations toward food in childhood and in families. This book is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology, family studies, public health as well as numerous interrelated disciplines, including sociology, demography, social work, prevention science, educational policy, political science, and economics.

This book examines the many roles of families in their members’ food access, preferences, and consumption. It provides an overview of factors – from micro- to macro-levels – that have been linked to food insecurity and discusses policy approaches to reducing food insecurity and hunger. In addition, it addresses the links between food insecurity and overweight and obesity. The book describes changes in the U.S. food environment that may explain increases in obesity during recent decades. It explores relationships between parenting practices and the development of eating behaviors in children, highlighting the importance of family mealtimes in healthful eating. The volume provides an overview of efforts to prevent or reduce obesity in children, with attention to minority populations and discusses research findings on targets for obesity prevention, including a focus on fathers as change agents who play a crucial, yet understudied, role in food parenting. The book acknowledges that with the current obesigenic environment in the United States and elsewhere around the world, additional and innovative efforts are needed to foster healthful eating behavior and orientations toward food in childhood and in families. This book is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology, family studies, public health as well as numerous interrelated disciplines, including sociology, demography, social work, prevention science, educational policy, political science, and economics.

This book examines the similarities in children’s short- and long-term development and adjustment when they have been separated from their parents because of larger institutional forces. It addresses the unique circumstances and the similarities faced by parents and children under three different institutional contexts of separation: parental migration and deportation, parental incarceration, and parental military deployment. Chapters describe the difficulties faced by families in each of these circumstances, along with the challenges in conducting research under the multidimensional and dynamic complexities of parent-child separation. Finally, the volume offers recommendations for creating supportive structures and interventions for families facing separation that can bolster youth well-being in childhood and beyond.Featured areas of coverage include:· Parental migration.· Parental incarceration.· Parental military deployment.· Undocumented migration and deportation.· Child-parent relationship and child resilience and adjustment.Parent-Child Separation is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology, family studies, public health, clinical social work, educational policy, and migration studies as well as all interrelated disciplines, including sociology, criminology, demography, prevention science, political science, and economics.

This book examines the similarities in children’s short- and long-term development and adjustment when they have been separated from their parents because of larger institutional forces. It addresses the unique circumstances and the similarities faced by parents and children under three different institutional contexts of separation: parental migration and deportation, parental incarceration, and parental military deployment. Chapters describe the difficulties faced by families in each of these circumstances, along with the challenges in conducting research under the multidimensional and dynamic complexities of parent-child separation. Finally, the volume offers recommendations for creating supportive structures and interventions for families facing separation that can bolster youth well-being in childhood and beyond.Featured areas of coverage include:· Parental migration.· Parental incarceration.· Parental military deployment.· Undocumented migration and deportation.· Child-parent relationship and child resilience and adjustment.Parent-Child Separation is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology, family studies, public health, clinical social work, educational policy, and migration studies as well as all interrelated disciplines, including sociology, criminology, demography, prevention science, political science, and economics.

This book examines ways in which families’ physical environments have implications for their relationships and the health and well-being of their members. Attention is given to three aspects of the physical environment—disasters, climate change, and the built environment—and the challenges these may create for families. Chapters describe particular considerations within each of these three physical environment challenges, the ways they affect families, and factors that protect families, promote their resilience and enable them to flourish. Finally, the volume offers recommendations for the role of government programs and policies to support families to overcome and/or adapt to environmental challenges as well as highlights the efficacy of evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting family resilience.Featured areas of coverage include:Extreme natural events and families’ postdisaster recovery.Family adaptations to climate change.The builtenvironment and children’s health and well-being.Community-driven approaches to address environmental inequities.The urban environment of family caregiving.Environmental Impacts on Families is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, therapists, policymakers, and other related professionals in developmental psychology, family studies, environmental health and policy, social work, public health, educational policy and politics, economics, migration studies, and all interrelated disciplines.

This book examines ways in which families’ physical environments have implications for their relationships and the health and well-being of their members. Attention is given to three aspects of the physical environment—disasters, climate change, and the built environment—and the challenges these may create for families. Chapters describe particular considerations within each of these three physical environment challenges, the ways they affect families, and factors that protect families, promote their resilience and enable them to flourish. Finally, the volume offers recommendations for the role of government programs and policies to support families to overcome and/or adapt to environmental challenges as well as highlights the efficacy of evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting family resilience.Featured areas of coverage include:Extreme natural events and families’ postdisaster recovery.Family adaptations to climate change.The builtenvironment and children’s health and well-being.Community-driven approaches to address environmental inequities.The urban environment of family caregiving.Environmental Impacts on Families is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, therapists, policymakers, and other related professionals in developmental psychology, family studies, environmental health and policy, social work, public health, educational policy and politics, economics, migration studies, and all interrelated disciplines.

This book examines the ways in which families can address racial and ethnic inequalities and racism and the impacts of these systems on health, education, and other family and family member outcomes. It addresses the historical context of race and racism in the United States, ethnic-racial socialization in families of color, and White parents’ attitudes and practices related to antiracist socialization. Chapters describe structural racism, debunk the myth of racial progress, and explore the representation of race and racism in family research; provide a historical account of ethnic-racial socialization literature, propose a model of ethnic-racial socialization of Latinx families; describe how racial socialization can be used therapeutically; and address White normativity, expand models of White racial socialization and learning, and grapple with the complexities of antiracist socialization. Finally, the volume offers recommendations for the field of family research to meaningfully include race and racism as well as provides suggestions for translational work in this area related to policies, programs, and practice. Featured areas of coverage include:Ethnic and racial socialization among families of color.White racial socialization and racial learning.Antiracist socialization.Opportunities for family research on race and racism to be used to enhance family policies and intervention programming.Family Socialization, Race, and Inequality in the United States is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology, family studies, and sociology, as well as interrelated disciplines, including demography, social work, prevention science, public health, educational policy, political science, and economics.

This book examines the ways in which families can address racial and ethnic inequalities and racism and the impacts of these systems on health, education, and other family and family member outcomes. It addresses the historical context of race and racism in the United States, ethnic-racial socialization in families of color, and White parents’ attitudes and practices related to antiracist socialization. Chapters describe structural racism, debunk the myth of racial progress, and explore the representation of race and racism in family research; provide a historical account of ethnic-racial socialization literature, propose a model of ethnic-racial socialization of Latinx families; describe how racial socialization can be used therapeutically; and address White normativity, expand models of White racial socialization and learning, and grapple with the complexities of antiracist socialization. Finally, the volume offers recommendations for the field of family research to meaningfully include race and racism as well as provides suggestions for translational work in this area related to policies, programs, and practice. Featured areas of coverage include:Ethnic and racial socialization among families of color.White racial socialization and racial learning.Antiracist socialization.Opportunities for family research on race and racism to be used to enhance family policies and intervention programming.Family Socialization, Race, and Inequality in the United States is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology, family studies, and sociology, as well as interrelated disciplines, including demography, social work, prevention science, public health, educational policy, political science, and economics.

This book examines how immigration law impacts U.S. immigrant families. It addresses how admission and border policies shape family formation and contribute to prolonged family separation; how immigration enforcement affects parenting practices; and how immigrants’ unique challenges spill over to influence broader kinship support networks. Chapters describe family reunification and separation policies; return migration and binational family life; how young immigrants reconnect with family abroad and navigate romantic relationships in the United States; parents’ engagement with surveilling actors and institutions; the impact of immigration policy on parenting, including during the pandemic; the health and well-being of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)-eligible adults and their children; aging and family dynamics among Asian immigrant families; and the impact of immigrant legal status across generations. Finally, the volume offers recommendations for family researchers on ways to advance our understanding of the short and longer-term effects of immigration law and policies on the formation, structure, and functioning of immigrant families.Key areas of coverage include:Immigrant laws and policies that shape the formation and separation of immigrant families.Immigrant parenting in the context of immigration enforcement.Effects of DACA and other immigrant policies on child and adult health and well-being.Long-term impacts of immigration policy over time and across generations.Opportunities for family research to better understand how immigration policies and practices shape families, parenting, and child health and well-being.Immigration Policy and Immigrant Families is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, therapists, and other professionals in developmental psychology, family studies, sociology, and such interrelated disciplines as demography, social work, prevention science, public health, educational policy, political science, and economics.

The family can be a model of loving support, a crucible of pathology, or some blend of the two. Across disciplines, it is also the basic unit for studying human relationships, patterns of behavior, and influence on individuals and society. As family structures evolve and challenge previous societal norms, new means are required for understanding their dynamics, and for improving family interventions and policies.Emerging Methods in Family Research details innovative approaches designed to keep researchers apace with the diversity and complexities of today's families. This versatile idea-book offers meaningful new ways to represent multiple forms of diversity in family structure and process, cutting-edge updates to family systems models and measurement methods, and guidance on the research process, from designing projects to analyzing findings. These chapters provide not only new frameworks for basic research on families, but also prime examples of their practical use in intervention and policy studies. Contributors also consider the similarities and differences between the study of individuals and the study of family relationships and systems. Included in the coverage:Use of nonlinear dynamic models to study families as coordinated symbiotic systems.Use of network models for understanding change and diversity in the formal structure of American families.Representing trends and moment-to-moment variability in dyadic and family processes using state-space modeling techniques.Why qualitative and ethnographic methods are essential for understanding family life.Methods in multi-site trials of family-based interventions.Implementing the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) to analyze the effects of family interventions.Researchers in human development, family studies, clinical and developmental psychology, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, and social welfareas well as public policy researchers will welcome Emerging Methods in Family Research as a resource to inspire novel approaches to studying families.

The widening gap between the rich and the poor is turning the American dream into an impossibility for many, particularly children and families. And as the children of low-income families grow to adulthood, they have less access to opportunities and resources than their higher-income peers--and increasing odds of repeating the experiences of their parents.Families in an Era of Increasing Inequality probes the complex relations between social inequality and child development and examines possibilities for disrupting these ongoing patterns. Experts across the social sciences track trends in marriage, divorce, employment, and family structure across socioeconomic strata in the U.S. and other developed countries. These family data give readers a deeper understanding of how social class shapes children's paths to adulthood and how those paths continue to diverge over time and into future generations. In addition, contributors critique current policies and programs that havebeen created to reduce disparities and offer suggestions for more effective alternatives. Among the topics covered:Inequality begins at home: the role of parenting in the diverging destinies of rich and poor children.Inequality begins outside the home: putting parental educational investments into context.How class and family structure impact the transition to adulthood.Dealing with the consequences of changes in family composition.Dynamic models of poverty-related adversity and child outcomes.The diverging destinies of children and what it means for children's lives.As new initiatives are sought to improve the lives of families and children in the short and long term, Families in an Era of Increasing Inequality is a key resource for researchers and practitioners in family studies, social work, health, education, sociology, demography, and psychology.

This provocative volume is comprised of psychological, socioeconomic, and cultural perspectives on couple dynamics, particularly gender dynamics, and the future of marriage. Featuring data on married, cohabitating, male/female, and same-sex couples, the authors of the book's chapters analyze the changing impacts of work, parenting, and the health benefits of marriage for men and women. Trajectories in the evolution toward gender equality provide the backdrop for discussions of women and men as partners, parents, and workers in contemporary society. Contributors also keep a sharp focus on the complexities of gender issues as they intersect with crucial contexts of cohort, class, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Among the topics covered: Gender equality and economic inequality: impacts on marriage.Expansionist theory expanded: integrating sociological and psychological perspectives on gender, work, and family change.Gender, work, and family: action in the interactions.Changes in U.S. mothers' and fathers' time use: causes and consequences.A case for gay fathers.Gender, marriage, and health for same-sex and different-sex couples Gender and Couple Relationships documents social roles and social change with fascinating insight to advance research in fields of psychology, sociology, demography and economics and to the benefit of work organizations, policy makers, family and couple therapists and other mental health professionals.

This provocative volume is comprised of psychological, socioeconomic, and cultural perspectives on couple dynamics, particularly gender dynamics, and the future of marriage. Featuring data on married, cohabitating, male/female, and same-sex couples, the authors of the book's chapters analyze the changing impacts of work, parenting, and the health benefits of marriage for men and women. Trajectories in the evolution toward gender equality provide the backdrop for discussions of women and men as partners, parents, and workers in contemporary society. Contributors also keep a sharp focus on the complexities of gender issues as they intersect with crucial contexts of cohort, class, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Among the topics covered: Gender equality and economic inequality: impacts on marriage.Expansionist theory expanded: integrating sociological and psychological perspectives on gender, work, and family change.Gender, work, and family: action in the interactions.Changes in U.S. mothers' and fathers' time use: causes and consequences.A case for gay fathers.Gender, marriage, and health for same-sex and different-sex couples Gender and Couple Relationships documents social roles and social change with fascinating insight to advance research in fields of psychology, sociology, demography and economics and to the benefit of work organizations, policy makers, family and couple therapists and other mental health professionals.

The family can be a model of loving support, a crucible of pathology, or some blend of the two. Across disciplines, it is also the basic unit for studying human relationships, patterns of behavior, and influence on individuals and society. As family structures evolve and challenge previous societal norms, new means are required for understanding their dynamics, and for improving family interventions and policies.Emerging Methods in Family Research details innovative approaches designed to keep researchers apace with the diversity and complexities of today's families. This versatile idea-book offers meaningful new ways to represent multiple forms of diversity in family structure and process, cutting-edge updates to family systems models and measurement methods, and guidance on the research process, from designing projects to analyzing findings. These chapters provide not only new frameworks for basic research on families, but also prime examples of their practical use in intervention and policy studies. Contributors also consider the similarities and differences between the study of individuals and the study of family relationships and systems. Included in the coverage:Use of nonlinear dynamic models to study families as coordinated symbiotic systems.Use of network models for understanding change and diversity in the formal structure of American families.Representing trends and moment-to-moment variability in dyadic and family processes using state-space modeling techniques.Why qualitative and ethnographic methods are essential for understanding family life.Methods in multi-site trials of family-based interventions.Implementing the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) to analyze the effects of family interventions.Researchers in human development, family studies, clinical and developmental psychology, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, and social welfareas well as public policy researchers will welcome Emerging Methods in Family Research as a resource to inspire novel approaches to studying families.

The widening gap between the rich and the poor is turning the American dream into an impossibility for many, particularly children and families. And as the children of low-income families grow to adulthood, they have less access to opportunities and resources than their higher-income peers--and increasing odds of repeating the experiences of their parents.Families in an Era of Increasing Inequality probes the complex relations between social inequality and child development and examines possibilities for disrupting these ongoing patterns. Experts across the social sciences track trends in marriage, divorce, employment, and family structure across socioeconomic strata in the U.S. and other developed countries. These family data give readers a deeper understanding of how social class shapes children's paths to adulthood and how those paths continue to diverge over time and into future generations. In addition, contributors critique current policies and programs that havebeen created to reduce disparities and offer suggestions for more effective alternatives. Among the topics covered:Inequality begins at home: the role of parenting in the diverging destinies of rich and poor children.Inequality begins outside the home: putting parental educational investments into context.How class and family structure impact the transition to adulthood.Dealing with the consequences of changes in family composition.Dynamic models of poverty-related adversity and child outcomes.The diverging destinies of children and what it means for children's lives.As new initiatives are sought to improve the lives of families and children in the short and long term, Families in an Era of Increasing Inequality is a key resource for researchers and practitioners in family studies, social work, health, education, sociology, demography, and psychology.

This important volume takes a life course approach in sharing empirical insights on the family experiences of African American males in socioeconomic and political contexts. Representing fields ranging from developmental psychology to public health and sociology to education, chapters identify challenges facing black men and boys in the U.S., as well as family and community sources of support and resilience. Survey findings and exemplar case studies illustrate stressors and risk factors uniquely affecting African American communities, and tailored prevention and intervention strategies are described at the personal, family, and societal levels. These interdisciplinary perspectives not only encourage additional research, but inspire the continued development of appropriate interventions, relevant practice, and equitable policy.Included in the coverage:• The adjustment and development of African American males: Conceptual frameworks and emerging research opportunities.• A trauma-informed approach to affirming the humanity of African American boys and supporting healthy transitions to manhood.• Humanizing developmental science to promote positive development of young men of color.• Families, prisoner reentry, and reintegration.• Safe spaces for vulnerability: New perspectives on African Americans who struggle to be good fathers.• They can’t breathe: Why neighborhoods matter for the health of African American men and boys.Promoting diversity in the research agenda to reflect a diverse population, Boys and Men in African American Families is an invaluable reference for research professionals particularly interested in sociology, public policy, anthropology, urban and rural studies, and African American studies.  Survey and ethnographic studies of poverty, inequality, family processes, and child, adolescent, and adult health and development are featured.

This unique volume advances the literature on sleep and health by illuminating the impacts of family dynamics on individuals’ quality and quantity of sleep. Its lifespan perspective extends across childhood, adolescence, adulthood and older age considering both phenomena of individual development and family system dynamics, particularly parent-child and marital relationships. It extends, as well, to the broader contexts of social disparities in sleep as a significant health behavior.  Emerging concepts and practical innovations include ancestral roots of sleep in family contexts, sleep studies as a lens for understanding family health, and methodologies, particularly the use of actigraphy technology, for studying sleep patterns in individuals and families. This rich area of inquiry holds significant keys to understanding a vital human behavior and its critical role in physical, psychological, and relational health and wellbeing.Among the topics covered: ·         Sleep and development: familial and sociocultural considerations.·         Relationship quality: implications for sleep quality and sleep disorders.·         Couple dynamics and sleep quality in an international perspective.·         Family influences on sleep: comparative and historical-evolutionary perspectives.·         Sociodemographic, psychosocial, and contextual factors in children’s sleep.·         Dynamic interplay between sleep and family life: review and directions for future research.        Family Contexts of Sleep and Health Across the Life Course will advance the work of researchers and students in the fields of population health, family demography and sociology, sleep research and medicine, human development, neuroscience, biobehavioral health, and social welfare, as well as that of policymakers and health and human services practitioners.

This important volume takes a life course approach in sharing empirical insights on the family experiences of African American males in socioeconomic and political contexts. Representing fields ranging from developmental psychology to public health and sociology to education, chapters identify challenges facing black men and boys in the U.S., as well as family and community sources of support and resilience. Survey findings and exemplar case studies illustrate stressors and risk factors uniquely affecting African American communities, and tailored prevention and intervention strategies are described at the personal, family, and societal levels. These interdisciplinary perspectives not only encourage additional research, but inspire the continued development of appropriate interventions, relevant practice, and equitable policy.Included in the coverage:• The adjustment and development of African American males: Conceptual frameworks and emerging research opportunities.• A trauma-informed approach to affirming the humanity of African American boys and supporting healthy transitions to manhood.• Humanizing developmental science to promote positive development of young men of color.• Families, prisoner reentry, and reintegration.• Safe spaces for vulnerability: New perspectives on African Americans who struggle to be good fathers.• They can’t breathe: Why neighborhoods matter for the health of African American men and boys.Promoting diversity in the research agenda to reflect a diverse population, Boys and Men in African American Families is an invaluable reference for research professionals particularly interested in sociology, public policy, anthropology, urban and rural studies, and African American studies.  Survey and ethnographic studies of poverty, inequality, family processes, and child, adolescent, and adult health and development are featured.

This unique volume advances the literature on sleep and health by illuminating the impacts of family dynamics on individuals’ quality and quantity of sleep. Its lifespan perspective extends across childhood, adolescence, adulthood and older age considering both phenomena of individual development and family system dynamics, particularly parent-child and marital relationships. It extends, as well, to the broader contexts of social disparities in sleep as a significant health behavior.  Emerging concepts and practical innovations include ancestral roots of sleep in family contexts, sleep studies as a lens for understanding family health, and methodologies, particularly the use of actigraphy technology, for studying sleep patterns in individuals and families. This rich area of inquiry holds significant keys to understanding a vital human behavior and its critical role in physical, psychological, and relational health and wellbeing.Among the topics covered: ·         Sleep and development: familial and sociocultural considerations.·         Relationship quality: implications for sleep quality and sleep disorders.·         Couple dynamics and sleep quality in an international perspective.·         Family influences on sleep: comparative and historical-evolutionary perspectives.·         Sociodemographic, psychosocial, and contextual factors in children’s sleep.·         Dynamic interplay between sleep and family life: review and directions for future research.        Family Contexts of Sleep and Health Across the Life Course will advance the work of researchers and students in the fields of population health, family demography and sociology, sleep research and medicine, human development, neuroscience, biobehavioral health, and social welfare, as well as that of policymakers and health and human services practitioners.