Jean W. Bauer

Financial management: Development of scales

This study is a contribution to the development of family resource management scales, specifically financial management scales. Principal axis factor analysis, with varimax rotation, is used to assess underlying relationships in 23 family resource management variables related to time and money resources. Reliability and content, construct, and criterion-related validity of the scales are assessed. Two scales that are reliable and have some degree of validity are developed: frequency of financial problems and frequency of financial management. The scales could be used in future research, teaching, or counseling to organize financial management concepts.

Family life quality: Theory and assessment in economically stressed farm families

The purposes of this paper are to (a) describe a resource exchange theory which outlines the dimensions of life quality (Foa and Foa, 1974), (b) present a multidimensional measure of personal evaluations of family life quality based on this theory, and (c) report the results of a two-stage study in which the scale was used. The scale includes items representing love, status, services, information, goods, and money resources received from the family. Respondents evaluated the degree to which the receipt of these resources satisfied personal needs for: (a) love and affection, (b) respect and esteem, (c) comfort and assistance, (d) shared meaning, (e) personal things, and (f) money for personal use. Reliability, correlation, covariance, cluster, and factor analyses on data from 592 subjects provided information for reducing the number of items. A reduced version of the scale was administered to 331 of the same subjects one year later. The two stages provided evidence of construct validity and reliability for the scale.

Factors associated with expectation of household's future financial condition

Path analysis is used to examine the causal relationships among selected objective and subjective factors associated with a households expectation of future financial condition. Results indicate that respondents who perceive the effect of changes in the external environment on their own households financial condition as positive are younger, have higher net worth, perceive more internal control over their situation, and report that most of the changes in the external environment are positive. Respondents who are younger, have higher income, perceive more internal control over their situation, and believe the effect of changes in the external environment on their households financial condition are positive are more likely to be optimistic about their financial future. It is important that educators and financial advisors recognize the significant role perception of being in control plays in determining expectations of future financial condition.

Children's Birthday Celebrations From the Lived Experiences of Low-Income Rural Mothers:

This exploratory study investigates how low-income rural families celebrate childrens birthdays, using interview data from 128 mothers residing in five states. Findings from a qualitative content analysis show that the mothers make special efforts to have birthday celebrations as other families do despite their financial constraints. Making the birthday child feel happy and “normal” is the central goal of the birthday celebrations. Many of the mothers desire big parties and expensive gifts, which are socially expected characteristics of birthday celebrations. These mothers adopt various strategies to acquire, create, and allocate resources they need, including reducing expenditures, planning, changing priorities, pooling resources, and receiving assistance from their social networks. However, some mothers cannot celebrate birthdays the way they want because of financial constraints and may feel unsatisfied with their celebrations.

Resource adequacy perception and marital satisfaction of rural wives and husbands: A nonrecursive model

Rural families have experienced rapid changes in their social and economic environment in the past few decades. How do rural husbands and wives perceive the adequacy of their resources in the face of economic pressures? Is there a relationship between their perception of resource adequacy and their marital satisfaction? These questions are explored using data from a random sample of 205 couples living in rural Minnesota. Age and Locus of Control are predictors of Perceived Resource Adequacy for both husbands and wives; employment is a predictor of Perceived Resource Adequacy for wives; and Money Management is negatively related to Perceived Resource Adequacy for husbands. Cohesion is the only salient cause of Marital Satisfaction for husbands and wives. No reciprocal relationship is found between Perceived Resource Adequacy and Marital Satisfaction. Implications for theory, research, education, and counseling are discussed.

Resource use of rural low-income families caring for children with disabilities

The Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, Pub.L. 104-193 (PRWORA) was passed creating the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Since the passage of PRWORA, many families were able to leave the welfare rolls while those remaining on welfare were likely composed of families facing barriers to leaving, such as caring for children with disabilities. This project addresses the gaps in knowledge regarding low-income families caring for children with disabilities by conducting qualitative research investigating the resources used by these families to find and keep employment and child care. The study used a sample from a research project entitled ‘Rural Families Speak’ and examined the data of 26 families caring for children with disabilities. Analysis resulted in policy recommendations for increasing the efficacy of the programs designed to help these families.

Theories for Studying Rural Families and Work

In this chapter, we discuss the role of theory and how it helps to shape our interpretation of data and findings. An overview is presented of the major theoretical frameworks used by the Rural Families Speak (RFS) research team members to study various aspects of employment for rural low-income family. RFS findings are used to illustrate the frameworks and suggestions are made regarding future research. The theories presented are further addressed in chapters throughout the book. The 22 theories are grouped into major categories: (a) Ecological, (b) Capital, Capabilities, and Family Economic, (c) Resource based, (d) Life perspectives, and (e) Employment/Output.

Welfare to Well-Being Transition

Welfare to well-being leads to better quality of life for families and communities. Around the world, societies are experimenting and shifting policies that address welfare to well-being for families and communities. In the U.S., the greatest shift in several decades has occurred with the welfare reform policies. These shifts have placed at issue the extent to which individuals and families and governments contribute to self-sufficiency and sustainability of their members and the collective whole in society. The paper addresses: a framework for thinking about sustaining well-being in the context of making transitions from welfare for the few to well-being for the many; a research illustration of focus group findings on the meaning of self-sufficiency for families who are currently receiving one type of welfare (food stamps); and the opportunities emerging in the context of the interaction of the family and society at the community, state, national and global level that allows for a wholistic response to issues around well-being and quality of life studies.

Correlates of Financial Counseling Outcomes: Implications for Practitioners

A study, based on family resource management theory, revealed a positive relationship between improvements in resources and financial counseling outcomes for clients of a family service agency. No similar relationship was found for improvements in demands. Implications for practitioners who assist families with financial management are discussed.

Rural Families and Work Overview

This chapter frames the book about rural families and work. In the United States, in order to balance the needs of both family and employment, rural low-income parents need resources, health, social support, child care, and sometimes creative strategies. In this chapter, a brief overview is presented of rural economic conditions and the characteristics of rural low-income families. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, a.k.a. welfare reform, is described. The Rural Families Speak project (RFS) is introduced and demographics about the RFS employed participants and their families are presented. Finally, the organization of the book and the authors are highlighted.