Suzanne K. Steinmetz

Adolescence in Contemporary Families

Adolescence, that unique period of age between childhood and adulthood, has been defined as the period of “stress and storm,” or the “awkward age.” Identifying the years encompassing the period defined as adolescence is beset with conceptual problems. Puberty, for example, may not be a good indicator because increased standards of health care and nutrition have caused the onset to occur earlier in successive generations of adolescents (i.e., referred to as the secular trend). Another problem in defining the parameters of adolescence results from the increased length of compulsory education and the increased number of youth who continue their education beyond high school. The result is that many young people delay their transition into full-time employment and marital and family roles, with the period of adolescence being extended and lasting longer than it did in the past.

The Diversity of Fatherhood: Change, Constancy, and Contradiction

The articles in this volume seek to examine the many faces of fatherhood. As we edited this very informative collection, the message conveyed very clearly is that fatherhood is no simple phenomenon, but a complex tapestry of many things. Contemporary fatherhood is both diverse in its manifestations and subject to contradictory qualities, forces, and trends. Acquiring an accurate view of contemporary fatherhood is not possible without images of constant change, lingering traditionality, and, above all, a complex set of roles that vary from having very clear expectations to being highly ambiguous. This collection of original articles conveys the reality that fatherhood is not a static phenomenon, but more like a moving target, only some of which has constant meaning. Like so many things in social life, we also need to accommodate constant changes in what each generation expects of paternity

Persisting Issues in Cultural and Cross-Cultural Parent-Youth Relations

The chapters in this collection illustrate the growing diversity of scholarship being conducted on parent-child/parent-adolescent relationships from different cultural and cross-cultural perspectives. Authors from many countries have raised important issues either directly in these chapters or indirectly through inferences about future work that is needed using the current scholarship as a springboard for thought. Among the multitude of possibilities, the issues of particular importance consist of: (1) the need for research based on more complex socialization models, (2) the need for scholarship that captures a more complex conception of culture, (3) dilemmas about cultural universals in the parent-child relationship, (4) An examination of problems with parental styles or typologies, (5) the need to expand beyond parental styles and behaviors as disproportionate preoccupations over other parental attributes and (6) the impact of shifting cultural, economic and political paradigms on values and attitudes regarding childrearing. The purpose of this concluding section to elaborate on these six issues.

Introduction: Parenting Styles in Diverse Perspectives

• In 1960 the Council on Circulation of the American Heart Association, under the chairmanship of Dr. Chasis, instructed a committee to develop a series of critical accounts of current methods that are widely used or are important, or both, in the evaluation of cardiovascular functions. Certainly, some of the most important and widely used metliods are those involving the introduction of indicators into the circulation. Many parameters of value to medical science and for the diagnosis of disease are obtained from the use of indicators. Not only is there much use, but, unfortunately, there is also much misuse of these technics. Furthermore, a critical evaluation of this general subject has not been attempted for several years, and recent advances have been many. For these reasons, it was decided that a discussion of indicator-dilution technics would be the first in the series to be sponsored by the Council on Circulation. An attempt has been made to have as many of the applications and theories oil indicator technics represented as is possible. It is apparent that those who have consented to present and discuss these areas are well-known experts in their fields. They have devoted a great deal of effort to making this an account that fulfills the aims of the Council. We are grateful to these contributors for the valuable time and effort they have given. The Council on Circulation also wishes to acknowledge the cooperation of the Latter Day Saints Hospital and the University of Utah in supporting this endeavor. Their support in the form of hospitality and space, in addition to their sharing of the financial burden, has made this possible. We also wish to thank Drs. Earl H. Wood, Homer R. Warner and Kenneth Kohlstaedt for their extraordinary help in organizing this symposium. LYSLE H. PETERSON, Moderator Department of Physiology University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia

Parental versus government guided policies: A comparison of youth outcomes in Cuba and the United States

Abstract This paper examines the outcomes of youth who live in Cuban and United States societies characterized by two distinct political systems. Although both societies claim to be child-centered, the value placed on health care, especially for children, and education, as well as the percentage of the budget allocated to support children is greater in Cuba than the United States. It also appears that, though the United States is a major world power that leads in technology and medical advance, there are few differences between the two nations in health and educational outcomes. In fact, statistic from numerous sources demonstrate the greater success of Cuban youth in terms of educational attainment, health promotion activities, and avoidance of negative outcomes as a result of risky behaviors.

Challenges of Safe Motherhood: Program and Policy Recommendations

ABSTRACT This article synthesizes the major findings from research and case studies on safe motherhood and focuses on best practices and changes in public policy. Many factors that negatively influence safe motherhood can be ameliorated—and have been in numerous societies through education, access to resources, public–private partnerships, and grassroots efforts. A model identifying the interrelationship of variable is provided. Policy recommendations are discussed.

Introduction: Macro-Level Influences on Parent-Youth Relations

The articles in this final section tend to examine how macro-level societal variables from different cultural traditions may have socialization consequences for parents and youth within families. As in previous sections, the articles in this collection originate from a diversity of societies. Characteristic of this selection, however, is a focus on the consequences of economic, political, and social belief systems from different societies that may shape the dynamics and consequences of the parent-youth relationship. Some societies, for example, are characterized by policies, economic practices, and cultural belief systems that are consistent with and encourage individualism, which is typical of the United States and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Mexico. Other societies represented in the papers of this section are characterized by a broader range of centrally developed policies and a focus on collectivism such as Cuba, or the kibbutzim in Israel. Finally, other studies examine samples from countries, such as China, that appear to be in transition from collectivism to a more individualistic or globalized system of cultural values for guiding socialization processes. Esteinou, in her article “Parenting in Mexican Society,” notes that the family has been of central significance to Mexican society, but ironically has received little formal scholarly attention by Mexican scholars. This pattern is even more evident in the paucity of work on Mexican parent-child/adolescent relations. Esteinou argues that the recent revival of interest in studying the Mexican family and parent-youth relations reflects the growing realization by