Recent demographic studies have revealed a greater diversity in settlement patterns among Mexican immigrant families resulting in rapidly climbing populations of immigrants in new areas of the country, particularly in rural areas, while growth in established destinations has slowed. Host communities play an important role in families' acculturation processes and...
In this dissertation, I explored how social relationships influence, and are influenced by, men's experiences of caregiving to their aging parents. Because of sociodemographic trends such as fewer siblings in younger generations and the growth of women seeking professional careers, men are increasingly likely to be called upon to meet...
In light of broadening racial/ethnic educational attainment gaps, growing diversity within young populations, and the increasingly critical relationship between higher education and outcomes in adulthood, understanding the factors that shape educational attainment is an especially important task for research. With this goal in mind, the current study examined how national...
In this dissertation, I explore how women and men in later life experience the world of dating and the pursuit of new intimate relationships. Although the mortality gap between women and men at older ages is narrowing, as they enter their 70s, 80s, and 90s, there are still at least...
The social aspects of older adults lives are strongly linked to well-being outcomes. Social relationships in older adulthood are rewarding, but also complex, and to maintain a positive social environment, older adults must reconcile long relationships histories, negotiate changing roles, and deal with increasing dependencies. Older adults are known to...
U.S. incarceration rates have soared over the past three decades and the demographic characteristics of those who end up in prison are a reflection of the nation's structural inequality. Incarcerated fathers are a socially disadvantaged group and spending time in prison compounds already significant risk factors that these men experienced...
Adult development and social experiences are intertwined, which has implications for social policy, health, and well-being across the lifespan. This dissertation explores the benefit and risk that close social partners bring to adults' lives, and the efficacy and consequences of engaging social resources to maintain well-being in the face of...
Housing is a critical component of family life, however, keeping a safe and stable roof overhead is increasingly difficult for the approximately 21 million low-income families in the United States (Urban Institute, n.d.; U.S. Census, 2015). Low-income families struggle to keep a roof overhead within the context of rising housing...
Decisions about college are significant in the lives of students and their families, especially since these are often the first major life-decisions that adolescents are able to make largely on their own (Galotti, 1995; Galotti & Mark, 1994). It is widely recognized that family history plays a role in whether...
Cognitive self-regulation and the behavioral manifestations of cognitive self-regulation are important aspects of school readiness, yet less is known about the variation in measurement modalities within children. In this dissertation, two studies examined the makeup, antecedents, and consequents of constellations of cognitive self-regulation (CSR) measures around the transition to formal...