Individual and Social Costs of Divorce in Utah

This preliminary report provides an overview of the economic consequences of divorce for couples experiencing divorce in Utah. The economic impact on the divorcing individuals, the surrounding communities in which they live, and the state and federal governments were assessed. The data collected in Utah reveals that the federal government absorbs the most substantial costs, including a host of expenditures related to welfare assistance and medical costs. The 9,735 divorces in Utah during 2001 cost the state and federal government nearly $300 million in direct and indirect costs. Extrapolation from these estimates reveals that divorce and its direct and indirect economic consequences cost the United States $33.3 billion annually. Implications for social policy and strengthening marriages are provided.A longer version of this paper, including a cost analysis breakdown for each state, is available from the author. This paper was originally written while the author was at Utah State University. This report is based on initial research findings by Dr. Steven L. Nock and Dr. David B. Larson. I would like to thank Dr. Brent A. Barlow, Brigham Young University, and Drs. Kathleen W. Piercy and James P. Marshall, Utah State University, for their valuable assistance in this research. A special thanks also goes to the reviewers for their invaluable comments on earlier versions of this article.David G. Schramm, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, 203 Spidle Hall, Auburn, AL 36849; e-mail: schradg@auburn.edu.     

Do the Health Benefits of Marriage Depend on the Likelihood of Marriage?

Marriage promotion initiatives presume substantial health benefits of marriage. Current literature, however, has provided inconsistent results on whether these benefits would be shared by people unlikely to marry. We investigate whether the physical and mental health benefits of marriage depend on the likelihood of marriage. Whereas prior studies have compared health benefits of marriage across a single predictor of marriage chances, we define the likelihood of marriage as a composite of demographic, economic, and health characteristics. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, we find that married adults are only modestly healthier than unmarried adults in both physical and mental dimensions. People with a higher likelihood of marriage generally do not reap greater health benefits from marriage than their counterparts. The only exception is that continuous marriage is more strongly associated with improved mental health among men who are more likely to be married.     

Decision-making style: Impact on satisfaction of the commuter couples' lifestyle

The entry of many women into the labor force in recent years has precipitated some changes for families. Commuter marriage is an attempt by some families to integrate work and family life. This article examines the decision-making style that 39 commuter couples use to make a decision if they should commute. The results indicate a more highly planned and systematically structured decision style relates to increased satisfaction with one's decision. Specific family and couple commuter style variables are discussed in relation to desirableness of lifestyle and coping strategies for commuter couples.Special acknowledgment is extended to Jane W. Spruill for her assistance with data collection and computer analysis. Support for computer analysis is acknowledged to the University of Maryland Computer Center. This research was supported in part by a Graduate Research Board Grant and a Divisional Small Grant Award, The University of Maryland, College Park, MD. This article benefited greatly from the suggestions of Charles Hennon and two anonymous reviewers.Her research interests include family policy issues, and work and families. She received her Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.     

The Imagination and Social Life

Sociology gives almost no consideration to the imagination. Yet, as this study seeks to demonstrate, the imagination plays an important role in social life. This article examines the question of how the imagination enters into ongoing interpersonal relations, taking as a case study cross-national couples and their discussions about where to live. Findings from semi-structured interviews with thirty-seven individuals in cross-national relationships suggest that the imagination enters into the lives of couples in four ways: imaginings suggest to partners where they would like to live; partners use the imagination as a tool to access and advance a preference, either together or individually; partners frame the desires of the other as fantasy as a way of countering these desires; and lastly, spouses tolerate an undesirable situation by engaging in escapist fantasies. Finally, this study suggests that the imagination permeates our decision-making, routinely enters our thoughts, is a domain in which individuals immerse themselves regularly, and, in the form of collective imaginings, can inspire social change.     

Indigenous research methodology – weaving a research interface

ABSTRACT

Indigenous research Knowledges and methodologies have existed over millennia, however it is only recently that Indigenous scholars have been able to challenge institutional Western hegemony to reclaim sovereignty in the research space. Despite the high volume of quantitative research describing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, there has been limited evaluation of the value added through incorporation of Indigenous Knowledges and methodologies. ‘Research at the interface’ has been discussed as an Indigenous research methodology for researchers to contextualise and inform their research practices, between Indigenous and Western systems of knowledge. In this article we address the significance of ‘research at the interface’ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research, as an exciting opportunity for innovation to ensure strength, self-determination and resilience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities engaged in research. We also introduce weaving a methodology for ‘research at the interface’ as a process for conceptualising Indigenous and quantitative research methodologies at the interface.     

Economic perspectives on public relations

This paper explores the relationship between economic theory and public relations, in order to explain how public relations management contributes to companies’ overall economic gains. It uses a “blend” of economic theories to explain the role and contribution of public relations from the economic point of view. The paper sees a link between the strategic management of public relations as a function, and portions of neoclassical theory, as well as to alternative economic approaches relating to investments and transaction costs.