Family conflict over rights and responsibilities may result from horizontal and vertical decalage in members' development of moral reasoning abilities. The terms horizontal and vertical decalage refer to phenomena of uneven individual development within and across stages of moral reasoning. Because moral conflict involves competing claims, the…

This paper discusses the migrant adolescent in Australia; specifically, the migrant of European origin, both newly arrived and Australian-born. The migrant experience can be perceived as being a dynamic psychosocial process that is uniquely experienced by each individual. In this process, the migrant adolescent has to deal simultaneously with two…

This article recounts the case of a gifted French adolescent girl whose life, characterized by family problems and lack of support, resulted in her tragic suicide at the age of 17. (DB)

Addresses problem areas encountered by families with learning-disabled children: parental self-blame and mourning, family life, the child's biological-psychological-social growth, and the child's achievement of independence. Argues that social workers have skills needed for effective remedial intervention. (RH)

Research indicates that families that adopt have many problems that would have existed even if the adopted child had been a biological member of the family, but that become more complex and intense due to adoption. A psychosocial and psychodynamic perspective toward family life suggests that in the adoption process, child and family pass through…

Interviewed John Bradshaw on radio talk show. Bradshaw contributed to a greater understanding of factors that foster and maintain substance abuse and dysfunctional families. Focused on his concept of the inner child. (JBJ)

Children of alcoholic parents often defend against family instability by adopting roles (hero, scapegoat, lost child, mascot) which bring a semblance of stability to the family. While one role may seem to dominate the character of an individual child, all four roles may be seen in the same child; at times conditions may cause an exchange of roles.…

The paper describes the conflict between parental responsibility for a handicapped child, particularly a retarded child, and the parents' other interests and concerns. Swedish parents (N=60) of retarded children were interviewed once and three families were interviewed several times over a 6-month period. Parents typically went through a period of…

Topics related to characteristics of mother/daughter relationships in contemporary patriarchal societies are discussed in this seminar paper. The first section describes cases intended to illustrate ways patriarchal social structures limit contemporary mother/daughter relationships, provides a brief historical contrast, and suggests possible…

The main purpose of this essay is to articulate a conceptual framework for early mental development. The content of the essay is based on a review of psychoanalytic literature and includes an attempt to integrate preverbal developmental data with the constructs of psychoanalytic theory. The view is taken that object constancy and the capacity to…

Recounts author's life as wife of an abusive alcoholic and mother of three preschool children. Describes how, through exposure to Head Start, the author provided her children with a preschool education, gained personal self-esteem, educated herself, left the abusive relationship, and ultimately returned to Head Start as a teacher. (SD)