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Reimagining stagnant perspectives of family structure: Advancing a critical theoretical research agenda Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-09-06 Caroline Sanner, Deadric T. Williams, Sarah Mitchell, Todd M. Jensen, Luke T. Russell, Aran Garnett‐Deakin
Many Americans believe that a breakdown in the “traditional” two‐married‐parent family and the rise in single‐parent families are responsible for persistent family inequality. The general argument is that children do best when they are raised by both biological parents. Evidence increasingly calls into question conventional wisdom about the universal benefits of the two‐parent family, yet mainstream
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A theoretical integration of work–family studies with the transactional model of stress Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-09-05 Geunpil Ryu
The work–family conflict theory posits that due to limited time and energy, individuals inevitably experience work–family role conflict, resulting in increased role strain. Conversely, the work–family enrichment theory suggests that multiple role involvement in work and family can lead to positive effects on well‐being through a virtuous cycle, known as a positive spillover effect. The theoretical
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Systems intelligence and families Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-09-04 William J. Doherty
In a world of increasing complexity, I propose that the concept of emotional intelligence is limited for understanding how people manage their family relationships and interactions with community systems. I review the background of the emotional intelligence concept and point out its limitations for dealing with multilateral relationships. I define systems intelligence as the capacity to effectively
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Institutional power and the deinstitutionalization of marriage Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-08-27 Rhys James Herden
In this article, I revisit the debate surrounding the deinstitutionalization of marriage. I identify the divergent methodologies used to evaluate deinstitutionalization and argue that institutional power requires greater definition. I develop the concept of institutional power by applying a Lukesian lens to new institutionalist theories of institutional activities. I define deinstitutionalization as
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Applying Hegelian theory to contemporary family science Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-08-27 Diana Cedeño
Despite Hegel's thorough exploration of the interplay between politics, family dynamics, and the role of self‐consciousness in family processes, his work has been notably absent from discussions within family science and human development. This paper aims to bridge this gap by conducting a comprehensive review of Hegel's contributions, addressing historical issues, and presenting arguments for the
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Emerging Voices: Amplifying the perspectives of students and new professionals Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-08-12 Caroline Sanner
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Engaging in literature review, synthesis, and meta‐analysis: A few considerations for family scholars Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-08-07 Todd M. Jensen
Given their value, literature reviews and syntheses are featured in numerous family‐centered academic journals, including the flagship journals of the National Council on Family Relations. Although literature reviews and syntheses, including meta‐analyses, have been published in family‐centered academic journals for decades, the application of these methods to topics germane to family science has increased
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A guide to conducting intersectional phenomenological research in family science Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-08-02 Jaclyn Elisa Keenoy, Romi Paldi, Yasmine Perry, Melissa Screven, Brad van Eeden‐Moorefield
An increasing number of scholars suggest the need to enhance the incorporation of diversity and social justice across all areas of family science. Part of this work has seen family science more strongly and explicitly incorporate intersectional theorizing to problematize individual biases and power positions, generally, and of researchers and participants, more specifically. More work is needed to
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A reproductive justice analysis of Black motherwork Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-07-31 Nia Flowers
This paper examines how Black mothers have had each tenet of reproductive justice violated by state powers and institutions, how Black mothers have resisted these injustices, and how this struggle between reproductive oppression and resistance is critical to understanding the relevance of Black motherwork in intersectional theories in family science. I argue that applying a reproductive justice analysis
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Human development and family science: A story of disciplinary fragmentation and kinship Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-07-29 Kathleen D. Dyer
Departments of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) are a disciplinary descendent of home economics, which emerged in the late 1800s as a product of progressivism, funding tied to agriculture, and misogyny in higher education. The study of development and family joined home economics departments in the 1930s and 1940s. Some home economics departments were dismantled in the 1960s and others were
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Couple and family optimal experiences: Integrating flow theory into the relational sciences Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-07-23 Ali Asad Somjee
Shared experiences are a fundamental aspect of couple and family life that impact both individual well‐being and satisfaction with close relationships. Optimal experience, also known as flow, is the state of complete absorption and fulfillment experienced when engaged in an intrinsically rewarding activity. The interdisciplinary concept of flow provides a sound basis to explore optimal shared experiences
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Parents who migrate without their children: Gendered and psychosocial reconfigurations of parenting in transnational families Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-07-23 Nerea Larrinaga‐Bidegain, Marco Gemignani, Yolanda Hernández‐Albújar
What psychosocial impacts does migrating without children have on parents? How do the reconfigurations of gendered dynamics in transnational families (TFs) affect the well‐being and subjectivities of mothers and fathers in the hosting and sending communities? Through this literature meta‐synthesis, we describe six main areas of concern for parents who migrate without their children: (a) migration and
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Continuing the scholarly chapter: The unexpected benefits of engaging with book reviews Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-07-17 Erin S. Lavender‐Stott, Sarah N. Mitchell
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Family types and family dimensions: The paradigmatic framework and the circumplex model Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-07-15 Larry L. Constantine
The Paradigmatic Framework is a formal and rigorously derived systems‐theoretic model of the organization and operation of human systems, a map covering not just families but also the broader range of human social systems in general. The origins, derivation, and development of the framework and its salient features are summarized. The framework is applied to a close examination of the well‐known and
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“All bodies deserve dignity and care”: Intimate parter violence and the aging body. Review of: Violence never heals: The lifelong effects of intimate partner violence for immigrant women. By AllisonBloom. New York University Press. 2023. pp. 216. ISBN: 9781479822041 (hardback); ISBN:9781479822058 (paperback); ISBN: 9781479822089 (library ebook); ISBN: 9781479822072 (consumer ebook) Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-07-07 Donna Meeker‐O'Rourke
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The recognition and the initial reaction to children's signals after experiencing maltreatment during childhood Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-07-01 Annie Bérubé, Jessica Turgeon, Noga Tsur, Anat Talmon
Maltreatment during childhood has many long‐lasting effects. Victims often become parents who experience parenting difficulties, therefore contributing to the intergenerational cycle of maltreatment. This paper highlights the consequences of severe trauma during childhood on two processes critical for a sensitive response, namely the recognition of and the initial reaction to emotional signals. We
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Self‐care rhetoric and institutional culpability: Theorizing the academy and intellectual labor Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-05-29 Emily R. Cabaniss, Shannon N. Davis, Kylie L. Parrotta
Self‐care, a ubiquitous concept commonly touted as the solution to an array of modern‐day problems, implies unapologetic selfishness aimed at preserving mental, emotional, and physical health. The overtly individualistic framing in its most common usage—the centering of oneself for the sake of oneself—obscures power relations and structural/institutional inequalities that create the need for self‐care
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Sharenting: A systematic review of the empirical literature Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-05-28 Şule Betül Tosuntaş, Mark D. Griffiths
Sharenting, the practice of parents publicly sharing information about their children on social media, has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review in order to evaluate existing publications that have empirically investigated the sharenting phenomenon and conceptualized its characteristics and possible consequences. Following
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Children's social–emotional learning as emotional labor: Recognizing children's contributions Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-05-17 Karina Ruiz
In the United States, the dominant contemporary understanding of childhood is one that is cultivated through children's role as dependents, served by adults who are their providers. This framework obscures how children contribute to society through their learning and practice. This paper proposes a reconsideration of children's learning to advance the theoretical conceptualization of emotional labor
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The influence of family‐based social assistance programs and parenting on child development: A conceptual framework for research with U.S. families in poverty Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-04-12 Kimberly R. Osborne
Nearly three decades since the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, federal cash assistance to families in poverty in the United States has entered political discourse once more with the Biden Administration's introduction of the American Families Plan. At the heart of this discussion are theories of change that derive from the family and developmental
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The importance of romantic relationships in preventing suicide Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-25 Sarah P. Carter, Erin Cobb, Laura A. Novak, Eric Ekman, Andrew Ton, Jessica M. LaCroix, Marjan Ghahramanlou-Holloway
Romantic relationships can both attenuate and exacerbate suicide risk. Suicide prevention strategies in the United States have emphasized the importance of healthy connections with others; however, suicide prevention efforts overwhelmingly continue to focus on individual-level interventions. This presents a missed opportunity to prevent suicide through a focus on romantic relationship factors that
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Testimonio as a methodology in the study of sexual and intimate partner violence Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-16 Veronica R. Barrios, Autumn Bermea, Ellison Luthy, Fan Xu
Sexual and intimate partner violence (SIV) continues to be a public health crisis, particularly among girls and women. Traditional and critical qualitative methodologies are often used to study SIV. This paper offers another methodology not traditionally used in family science, testimonio, as a critical, qualitative option. Testimonio is a methodology rooted in Indigenous, Latinx, and Chicano/a feminista
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Celebrating the “good-enough families”: Family challenges and resilience during global adversity Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-26 Carla Crespo, Ana Paula Relvas
INTRODUCTION Families have historically been and remain the most significant units of human existence (Montefiore, 2022). The recognition of the families' paradoxical position is as old as the beginning of family science. Although families are relational systems potentially providing great joy, support, and security, families are also where significant pain, loss, and trauma can originate from (Lebow
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Family keyworker as a non-clinical and democratic figure to support hard-to-reach families from an attachment perspective Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-20 Ana Berástegui, Carlos Pitillas
We express gratitude to both Silvia Lordello and Daniel J. Puhlman for their insightful comments on our paper entitled “The Family Keyworker as a Critical Element for Attachment Resilience in the Face of Adversity” (Berástegui & Pitillas, 2024). Lordello's and Puhlman's observations and concerns regarding our application of an attachment lens to the work of family keyworkers (FKWs) provide us with
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FD/FR family: Functional disconnection and reconnection in public safety personnel families Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Hanna Duffy, Megan McElheran, Andrea Stelnicki, Kelly Dean Schwartz
This paper addresses the growing recognition of occupational stressors impacting the mental health of public safety personnel (PSP) and their families. While numerous programs support PSP well-being, limited attention is given to family members, who navigate increased worry, social isolation, and the challenge of supporting a psychologically injured spouse. Drawing from the functional disconnection/functional
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Romantic relationships and attitudes in Asian emerging adults: Review and critique Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-02 Chengfei Jiao, Celia T. Lee, Qinglan Feng, Frank D. Fincham
This article summarizes and critiques existing literature on the factors that might influence romantic relationships and attitudes among Asian emerging adults (18–29 years old). Forty-one studies were identified. Findings were categorized into two groups based on outcome variables: romantic relationship qualities (e.g., satisfaction; N = 22) and attitudes toward dating and marriage (N = 19). Common
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Development of the racial and ethnic discrimination stress model Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-26 Renée E. Wilkins-Clark, Carmen N. Gray, Anthony J. Ferraro
Family stress models have been used extensively in family science for decades and have demonstrated utility in the examination of familial responses to stressors. Although these models have been applied to research on Black families and researchers have more recently considered the impact of integrated sociocultural context and reconceptualized models accordingly, current models do not fully explain
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Facing the heat: A descriptive review of the literature on family and community resilience amidst wildfires and climate change Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Vitória Ferreira, Luciana Sotero, Ana Paula Relvas
Family and community resilience in the contexts of natural disasters and climate change have earned a place of prominence in the research field. This article provides a descriptive review of the literature published between 1997 and 2023 examining family and community resilience in the context of wildfires, climate change, and sustainability. Ninety-two articles were included and analyzed, with three
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COVID-19: Family resilience in a context of vulnerability Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-28 Marcelo R. Ceberio
The crisis triggered by the emergence of COVID-19, and the subsequent mandatory isolation was one of the most significant vulnerability-inducing events in the past 100 years of humanity. The different experiences of individuals regarding this event led each person to construct their own vulnerability within the global vulnerability. Families have been major protagonists in this situation. The organized
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Routines and child development: A systematic review Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-19 Saliha B. Selman, Janean E. Dilworth-Bart
Research has shown the importance of routines for optimal child development. A systematic review can offer a detailed overview of the evidence linking routines to child outcomes, particularly in high-risk settings. This review aimed to elucidate the association between daily routines and child development and to pinpoint the protective role of routines in high-risk environments. A search of PubMed
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Self-injurious behavior in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: An interdisciplinary family systems review Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-13 Caroline L. Roberts, Frank Symons
This conceptual review paper takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of self-injury in families. The overall goal is to begin integrating siloed bodies of knowledge from empirical work based on findings from individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities and self-injury. The research literature on self-injury and family-level variables is reviewed, including dyadic
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A scoping review of research on polyamory and consensual non-monogamy: Implications for a more inclusive family science Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-11-27 Shivangi Gupta, Mari Tarantino, Caroline Sanner
Polyamory and consensual non-monogamy (CNM) refer to partnerships in which individuals have romantic, emotional, and/or sexual relationships with multiple people, with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. Recent decades have seen a surge in research interest in polyamory and CNM, warranting efforts to pause and take stock of empirical findings. In this scoping review, we evaluate and synthesize
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A framework for how homelessness impacts children's attachments to their caregiver Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-11-08 Nathaniel Stekler
In this paper, I create a framework that explains how homelessness reduces a child's attachment security. Attachment theory states how over time and repeated interactions, children and caregivers develop patterns of behavior that foster the development of children's schemas about what to generally expect from relationships with others. In order for children to develop secure attachments, a caregiver
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A conceptual model of family well-being: Bridging constructs, fields, and practice applications Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-11-03 AliceAnn Crandall, Erin Kramer Holmes, Sariah E. Villalon, Nomi S. Weiss-Laxer, Jerica M. Berge
Family functioning, family resilience, family health, and family flourishing are concepts used in research across multiple fields. One challenge of their interdisciplinary use is that there are a variety of definitions of each, with researchers sometimes creating their own definitions rather than using well-established definitions. This can lead to different conceptualization of the same concept across
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Dyadic bicultural competence: A new way of conceptualizing patterns of cultural competence in close relationships Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-10-11 Quinn E. Hendershot, Matthew D. Johnson
In this review, we explore how bicultural competence, or the extent to which individuals effectively balance two cultures, can exist at a dyadic level, where two individuals' respective levels of cultural competence determine how effectively the dyad engages with their environment and collectively manages challenges associated with navigating two cultures. We review existing literature relevant to
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Intersectional blackness matters: Why family science should care about the College Board's A.P. African American Studies course controversy Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-10-07 Ingrid Banks
This article examines how the recent controversy about the College Board's A.P. African American Studies course has implications for studies on Black families. In relegating Black feminism and Black queer theory as optional research topics in the course, the College Board failed to recognize the importance of theorizing intersectional blackness in research in Black Studies in general and research on
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Pedagogy of the great pandemic of the 21st century: Epistemic implications for individual psychology, family science, and psychotherapies Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-10-06 Raúl Medina Centeno
As an effect of the severe health crisis caused by COVID-19, lockdown constituted a psychosocial laboratory that represented an experiment on a global scale. The lessons from the research findings in the pandemic environment have been of enormous importance to the disciplines of human behavior. This paper explores two themes evidenced in this context: people's psychological well-being is underpinned
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Connection abstract theory: An exercise in abstract theorizing after Bowlby Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-09-28 David C. Bell
This paper proposes connection abstract theory as a detailed abstract formulation of the volitional elements of John Bowlby's theory of child attachment and its expansion to include adult relationships. Connection abstract theory is a formal statement of causal connections within and between attachment and caregiving systems. It is so-called to give an unambiguous name to the attachment–caregiving
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The family keyworker as a critical element for attachment resilience in the face of adversity Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-09-25 Ana Berástegui, Carlos Pitillas
Attachment resilience is the ability of attachment relationships to survive adversity and maintain their functions in the face of stress and is a critical component of personal and family resilience. This property is the result of interactive influences across multiple systems of care. In this way, security is transferred across what we call chains of security. This paper will delve into how family
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Familial critical consciousness socialization: How key family theories can expand racial-ethnic socialization research among Asian American families Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-09-13 J. Abigail Saavedra, Ronae Matriano, Hyung Chol Yoo, Rebecca M. B. White
As systems of oppression (e.g., racism) become more evident in public consciousness, Asian American families are grappling with critical discussions about social justice and oppression. To define and explore these increasingly common conversations, we propose critical consciousness socialization as an important construct for socialization research among Asian American families. Critical consciousness
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Safety and security in family life: Experiences of involuntary dislocation Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-09-04 Arlene Vetere, Karen Shimwell
Safety and security is at the heart of expectations of family life. Or is it? When Russia invaded Ukraine, it unleashed another massive movement of peoples in search of safety, fleeing from a lack of security, and forced to leave behind other loved ones, such as husbands, partners, fathers, and grandparents. Many countries, including the United Kingdom, offered to host dislocated Ukrainian mothers
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Racial discrimination and romantic relationship dynamics among Black Americans: A systematic review Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-08-31 TeKisha M. Rice, August I. C. Jenkins, Shardé McNeil Smith, Chelsea Alexander, Casey M. McGregor
Despite increasing research, the links between racial discrimination and Black Americans' romantic relationship dynamics remain unclear. Guided by models of mundane extreme environmental stress (Peters & Massey, 1983), sociocultural family stress (McNeil Smith & Landor, 2018), and Black marital outcomes (Bryant et al., 2010), we conducted a systematic review of the literature examining racial discrimination
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Living single in late life among African Americans Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-08-21 Tera R. Jordan, Peter Martin
The conceptual literature is scant on the experiences of older single African American adults. We aim to contribute to the scholarship on singlehood within specific populations (e.g., African American) and in particular life phases (e.g., late adulthood). We begin with a presentation of life course theory. We then review literature that underscores the importance of age, resources (i.e., individual
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Parental support is not enough: How parental socialization theories can advance LGBTQ+ youth family research, practice, and health Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-08-18 Jessica N. Fish, Pond Ezra
LGBTQ+ youth endure health inequities resulting from stigma and would benefit from strategies that help them navigate unique developmental challenges. One promising strategy to address LGBTQ+ youths' health is augmenting parenting behaviors to support youth's adaptive strategies in the face of stigma. There remain limited conceptual frameworks and empirical focus on parenting LGBTQ+ youth. Adjacent
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Post-traumatic stress symptoms and parenting in military families: A systematic integrative review Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-08-14 Aditi Gupta, Abigail H. Gewirtz, Lynn M. Borden
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among service members portends substantial impairments not only for the affected individual but also for their families. However, the association between PTSD symptoms and specific parenting domains remains understudied. Drawing upon the Military Family Stress Model and the Cognitive Behavioral Interpersonal Theory of PTSD, this systematic review provides an overview
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Voluntary and involuntary singlehood: Salience of concepts from four theories Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-08-09 Jacki Fitzpatrick
Reconfiguring theoretical approaches is needed as growing numbers of adults are experiencing extended periods of singlehood. There is a central distinction in intentionality, which creates a voluntary or involuntary status. Voluntary individuals have chosen to be marriage-free. Involuntary individuals wish to be cohabited/married but have been unable to do so. The purpose of this paper is to describe
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Family practice with fathers, social care, and capabilities Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-08-04 Nadav Perez-Vaisvidovsky
The aim of this article is to offer a novel theoretical perspective on family practitioners' engagement with fathers, through the lens of theories of social care and capabilities. The paper shows how research on low engagement of fathers in family- and child-related social interventions has advanced along three main axes: (a) giving voice to fathers, (b) analyzing workers' perceptions, and (c) what
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The temporal intersectional minority stress model: Reimagining minority stress theory Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 Matthew Rivas-Koehl, Dane Rivas-Koehl, Shardé McNeil Smith
Two decades have passed since Ilan Meyer first published the minority stress theory (MST) model. Since then, scholars have used MST extensively to expand the field's understanding of LGBTQ+ populations' experiences with stress and mental health. To better represent these experiences, scholars have combined MST with other theories in empirical articles, but a theoretical model has yet to be proposed
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An examination of power in a triadic model of parent–child–pediatrician relationships related to early childhood gender development Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-07-30 Eline Lenne, Christina J. Sun, Susanne Klawetter
In this paper, the authors introduce the Triadic Model of Pediatric Care, an innovative conceptual framework for pediatric practice with transgender and gender diverse children. The Triadic Model of Pediatric Care consists of three experts—pediatricians, primary caregiver(s), and children—who each possess unique insights, knowledge, and decision-making power. This model guides pediatricians to provide
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Single and flourishing: Transcending the deficit narratives of single life Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-06-30 Bella DePaulo
From the couples-centered perspective that has dominated public discourse and scholarly literature, the values and interests of coupled people are the implicit standard against which single people are judged, resulting in deficit narratives of single life. From that perspective, single people are “alone” and “unattached,” the important people in their lives are mere substitutes for a romantic partner
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Singlehood during later life: Theoretical considerations for health and social relationships Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-06-27 Ashley E. Ermer, Jaclyn Elisa Keenoy
Older adults are a growing segment of the population. The number of single older adults is increasing, making older adulthood a salient developmental period to examine singlehood. In this article, we focus on older adults' singlehood experiences based on marital status and delve into theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. Specifically, we focus on theories related to the life course
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How sociocultural contexts may shape the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on couples' relationships Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-06-19 Paula R. Pietromonaco, Nickola C. Overall
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect couples worldwide who vary in sociocultural values, norms, and expectations, but most work examining connections between pandemic-related stress and couples' relationships has been conducted in the US or similar Western cultures. Guided by the vulnerability-stress-adaptation (VSA) model (Karney & Bradbury, 1995), we present a revised theoretical framework for
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Queering singlehood: Examining the intersection of sexuality and relationship status from a queer lens Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-06-08 Erin S. Lavender-Stott
This paper uses a queer theoretical lens to redefine family boundaries and structures by exploring LGBTQIA+ and single adults' relationships through the interconnectedness of their marginalized histories. Queer theory both centers LGBTQIA+ lives and deconstructs normativities. The overlapping history of singlehood and LGBTQIA+ will be explored using examples including romantic friendships, same-sex
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Intersectionality in studying and theorizing singlehood Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-06-05 Elyakim Kislev, Kris Marsh
This article underscores the importance of recognizing the diversity and intricacy of singlehood and transcending a simplistic view of singles as a monolithic group. By adopting an intersectional approach, researchers can obtain a deeper understanding of singles' experiences and identify their unique needs. Moreover, this understanding has profound implications for social justice endeavors, as singles
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Sex and single women in midlife: Theoretical perspectives, recent findings, and future directions Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-05-30 Nancy Luke, Michelle Poulin
Demographic trends, such as the graying of divorce, have led to increasing numbers of unmarried women in midlife, yet little is known about the meaning of sex and intimacy among this population. This article reviews the nascent literature on single women's sexual experiences at midlife, theoretical frameworks that have been employed, and key findings. Challenging the stereotype that single women in
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Defining and measuring singlehood in family studies Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-05-30 Dimitri Mortelmans, Elke Claessens, Gert Thielemans
Many authors have documented a global rise in singlehood during the past decades, expanding beyond Western or industrialized countries. Simultaneously, the number of single households is increasing, not only due to the aging of the population, but also because young adults are increasingly living solo. Whereas having no partner and solo living do not necessarily coincide, existing studies tend to overlook
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Studying stepfamilies, surfacing secrets: A reflection on the private motivations behind efforts to humanize family complexity Journal of Family Theory & Review (IF 3.2) Pub Date : 2023-05-17 Caroline Sanner
Feminist family scholars have long called for greater transparency of the partial perspectives embedded within family science. In this paper, I employ feminist reflexive autoethnography to unpack the private motivations that guide my research on family complexity. Using critical storytelling, I trace the personal developments that led to a research program on structurally complex families—families