Two studies examined a "child x environment" model of early school adjustment. Findings indicated that entry factors directly and indirectly influenced behavior, participation, and achievement in kindergarten. Initial behavioral orientation influenced the type of relationships formed with peers and teachers. Stressful aspects of relationships…

Mothers' and fathers' responses to their children's spontaneous sibling conflicts were observed. Findings indicated that associations between parents' conflict management strategy and sibling interaction quality varied according to children's ages, gender of the monitoring parent, and type of strategy. Passive nonintervention was highly associated…

Explored relations between additive and cumulative representations of contextual risk, caregiver emotionality, child adaptability, and teacher reports of problem behaviors of 6- and 7-year-olds from economically disadvantaged families. Found evidence that the relation for cumulative risk may be moderated by caregiver negative emotionality and…

Observed a laboratory play session to study development of anger expression during middle childhood. Found that 8- to 12-year-olds were remarkably composed in response to taunts from a same-age, same-sex confederate and to losing a computer game for a desirable prize. Also found gender differences in negative comments and gestures, and age…

Examined conflicts between middle-class African American preadolescents/early adolescents and their parents. Found that conflicts were relatively frequent, of low intensity, and occurred over issues such as the adolescent's room, chores, activity choices, and homework. Early adolescents rated conflicts as more intense than preadolescents. Mothers'…

Tested equivalence of theoretical model of parenting behaviors linking financial strain to adolescents' achievement for African American and European American families and single- and two-parent families. Found no significant differences in structural equation models between ethnic/racial groups or between family types. Negative parent-adolescent…

This study used longitudinal data from five Irish American families and nine Chinese families in Taiwan, in conjunction with cultural psychology research evidence, to propose universal, culturally variable, and developmental dimensions of children's pretend play. Findings raise the theoretical issue of how universal and variable dimensions of…

Investigated gender effects on conversational strategies among African American children from urban, low-income families. Found that boys were more likely than girls to use controlling acts and domineering exchanges in same-gender but not mixed-gender pairs; girls were more likely to use a combination of collaborative and informing acts. Findings…

Whereas in years past, young people typically made a discrete transition from school to work, two ideal typical routes now characterize the sharing of school and work roles during adolescence and the transition to adulthood. Longitudinal data from the Youth Development Study show that one route involves less intensive employment during high…

The challenges of juggling work and family responsibilities are well known, but there has been little attention to the distinctive work and family experiences of young adults. This chapter explores how class affects young adults' exposure to work-family conflicts and the strategies they use to manage their work and family responsibilities. Using…

This article provides an overview of objective and subjective class differences in experiences of postsecondary education. Using the metaphor of a funnel, it argues that cumulative disadvantage results when first-generation and low-income college students are disproportionately filtered out at each stage of the postsecondary education process.…

Sociologists have long recognized the relationships between family background and social class attainment. However, by neglecting the multiple ways in which families and parents provide advantages and the extent to which these advantages extend into adulthood, they may still be underestimating the role of families in the reproduction of class…

This article examines differences in young adults' intimate relationships by social class. Lower-class adolescents are more likely to engage in intimate-relationship practices such as cohabitation, early marriage, and sexual activity that may lead to further economic and educational deprivation. Such adolescents have limited access to the special…

This article provides an introduction to and overview of the literature on how the transition to adulthood is shaped by social class. It brings together two strands of literature. The first reviews why and how the third decade of life has been reshaped by later and longer education. The second considers how the social class position of young…

Young disadvantaged workers are especially vulnerable to harassment due to their age and social class position. As young people enter the workforce, their experiences of, and reactions to, harassment may vary dramatically from those of older adult workers. Three case studies introduce theory and research on the relationship between social class…