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Families

A multigenerational group of people who share a close relationship and generally live in the same household, with one or more parents caring for biological or adopted children, families also include adult children who care for their elderly parents. RAND research on families spans various populations and socioeconomic backgrounds in developed as well as developing countries and addresses such topics as child welfare, fertility, marriage and divorce, and household economic security.

Commentary

Domestic Warning Signs of Mass Shootings

After shootings, there is inevitably public debate over gun safety, constitutional rights, police tactics, terrorism, race, and politics. But these discussions rarely focus on a common factor among the perpetrators: a history of violence against women.

Aug 6, 2016
Commentary

The Economic Rationale for Investing in Family Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa

Proven benefits to reduced fertility — or to delayed start to childbearing and greater spacing between births — include lower maternal mortality, fewer unsafe abortions, reduced risks from early childbearing, and women's ability to engage in more income-generating opportunities.

Aug 3, 2016
Journal Article

Associations Between Prior Deployments and Marital Satisfaction Among Army Couples

The analyses described in this article compare associations between prior deployments and current marital satisfaction across four different ways of measuring prior deployment within a large and representative sample of married Army service members and their spouses.

Jul 28, 2016
Journal Article

Employment Gaps Between Military Spouses and Matched Civilians

Drawing upon data from the Deployment Life Study, this article examines whether female military spouses (SPs) are disadvantaged relative to matched civilian peers in terms of hours worked and earnings, paying particular attention to gaps among the highest educated women.

Jul 26, 2016
Journal Article

Preparing for Deployment: Examining Family and Individual-Level Factors

Deployment can be a significant source of stress for military families. Understanding how families prepare in the face of such stress, and which families are less likely to prepare, is a priority of the Department of Defense.

Jul 25, 2016
Journal Article

Living Arrangements of the Elderly in China: Evidence from the CHARLS National Baseline

Declining fertility in China has raised concerns about elderly support, especially when public support is inadequate.

Jul 21, 2016
Journal Article

Mutualistic Cooperation — Why Religion Is Common but Saints Are Rare

This commentary on a larger focus article suggests that religion may improve wellness through mutualistic benefits that do not require truly altruistic cooperation and related cultural signaling systems.

Jul 19, 2016
Commentary

'In the Deployment Life Study, I Saw My Own Family'

RAND's Deployment Life Study was designed to examine how deployment affects the health and well-being of military families. M.M. Smith, an active-duty military spouse, offers her response to the study.

Jul 18, 2016
Testimony

Dementia Long-Term Care Policy Options for Family Caregivers and Medicare

The total cost of caring for people in the United States with dementia in 2010 was estimated to be between $159 billion and $215 billion. As the nation's population ages, these costs will soar. Lawmakers could consider policy changes that support family caregivers and expand Medicaid eligibility.

Jul 13, 2016
Report

The Value of Military Installation Public-to-Public Partnerships

Partnerships have benefited both U.S. military installations and communities in terms of cost savings, improved operations, access to additional expertise and resources, and improved military-community relations.

Jul 12, 2016
Commentary

Fixing Inequality of Opportunity

Research has fueled concerns about how income inequality drives inequality of opportunity. Commonsense approaches such as improvements in education and access to quality health care have been shown to provide young people with better opportunities.

Jul 6, 2016
Periodical

RAND Review: July-August 2016

This issue highlights the stress of military deployments and resilience of military families; RAND research on cybercrime, network defense, and data breaches; the 40th anniversary of RAND's landmark Health Insurance Experiment; and more.

Jun 27, 2016
Essay

The Resilience of Military Families

Deployment of a spouse and parent can shake a military family to its core. But according to RAND research, these families display remarkable resilience.

Jun 16, 2016
Commentary

Improving Care and Support for People Living with Breathlessness

Living with COPD puts a huge burden on patients and their informal caregivers. What measures could improve care and support among these groups?

Jun 10, 2016
Commentary

Countering Extremism: Early Childhood Education Forgotten

Global attention has turned to education as a way to counter extremism. But what has been missing from the conversation is a focus on learning in children's first years, when much brain development occurs. In the Middle East and North Africa, government underinvestment in formal programs for young children is the norm.

Jun 8, 2016
Journal Article

Multi-level Correlates of Safer Conception Methods Awareness and Attitudes Among Ugandan HIV Clients with Fertility Intentions

We examined awareness and attitudes towards SCM, and the correlates of these constructs among 400 HIV clients with fertility intentions in Uganda.

Jun 5, 2016
Research Brief

Exploring Opportunities for Efficiency and Joint Provision of Services Using Nonappropriated Funds

In examining two areas (accounting and employee benefits) where the Department of Defense might spend less nonappropriated funding, RAND assessed costs and challenges and identified ways to manage organizational changes in the face of resistance.

May 31, 2016
Report

Sustaining Service Members and Their Families: Exploring Opportunities for Efficiency and Joint Provision of Services Using Nonappropriated Funds

RAND researchers assessed U.S. Department of Defense efforts to determine whether any administrative activities paid for with funding that was not congressionally appropriated could be consolidated -- and, if so, whether savings would occur.

May 31, 2016
Report

How Does Income Inequality Impact Opportunity?

Rising income inequality can affect outcomes for children of parents with lower incomes by limiting their opportunities. Understanding the extent to which inequalities in opportunity and outcomes are related can help determine which policies have the most potential to level the playing field.

May 23, 2016
Report

Parenting Programs in Shelby County, Tennessee: A Brief Review of the Research Literature

This report presents an overview of outcomes associated with rigorously evaluated parenting programs currently operating in Shelby County, Tennessee.

May 16, 2016

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RAND Topic:
Families

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