The proposed research will investigate socialization explanations for the effects of family disruption and family structure on children. It will go beyond simple family categories to investigate effects of basic elements of family structure: number of parents (and parental time and money investments in children), parental obligation (biological/adoptive vs. step), and marital relationships. The effects of family extensions -- support from nonresidential parents or residential kin -- on socialization and child well-being will also be examined. The research will test the selectivity hypothesis, i.e., that problems experienced by adults and children in nonintact families are due to inter- and intra-generational transmission of problem relationships and/or sociocultural position. Finally, it will investigate the extent to which kin and community support affect children's socialization and well-being, and can compensate for family socialization difficulties. Data from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) will be used to estimate models of family structure, socialization, and children's well-being. The NSFH includes interviews with a probability sample of 13,017 respondents, among which are oversamples of blacks, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans, single-parent families and families with stepchildren, cohabiting couples and recently married persons. The analytic sample for the proposed research Will include primary respondents and spouses/partners who have at least one child under 19 in the household.
