THE POVERTY SYNDROME IS A COMBINATION OF MANY NEGATIVE FACTORS, AMONG WHICH ARE LOW INCOME AND ABSENCE OF FAMILY LIFE. THE EROSION OF FAMILY LIFE IN MANY POOR FAMILIES IS DUE LESS TO A LACK OF RECOGNITION AND AFFIRMATION OF SO-CALLED MIDDLE-CLASS VALUES, THAN TO THE INABILITY TO SUPPORT THESE VALUES. BEHAVIOR OF THE BULK OF POOR FAMILIES APPEARS…

THE CONCEPT OF A DISTINCT LOWER CLASS OR CULTURE IS OFTEN DETRIMENTAL TO THE STUDY AND COUNSELING OF LOWER-CLASS FAMILIES. CONFUSION ABOUT THE MEANING OF CLASS AND CULTURE IS DANGEROUS WITHIN THE SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES AND IN POPULAR THINKING. BY CLASSIFYING BROADLY, THE WIDE RANGES OF BEHAVIOR WITHIN CERTAIN GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS ARE OVERLOOKED…

Achievement-related beliefs and behaviors of parents of 41 economically disadvantaged African American youth and the relations among parental factors and children's academic self-concept and achievement were studied. Significant and positive relations between parental belief and behavior measures are discussed in light of models of family…

This study investigated differences between coping behavior of 25 developmentally disabled and 25 nondisabled children (age 4-34 months) from lower- and middle-income family backgrounds. Assessment of three adaptive-coping behaviors (sensorimotor organization, reactive behavior, and self-initiated behavior) indicated that nondisabled children…

Three research projects studied in detail the mass media behaviors of poor children, adolescents, and adults. These studies focused on a complete range of media behaviors--media use, availability, content preferences, functions, and attitudes. They considered a comprehensive set of media including radio, television, newspapers, magazines,…

Designed as Phase I of a project directed toward the eventual establishment of multi-purpose, cooperative, local organizations concerned predominately with the socio-economic development of low income rural families in northwest Florida, this survey project was conducted in six counties which were selected according to rurality, incidence of…

This report examines data from a study of the relationship among work status, wage levels, marital status, education, age of youngest child and use of child care in allowing low income households to remain off welfare. The study described looking separately at public assistance status (whether a household received welfare) and recidivism (how long…