This article examines the impact of economic distress on families and analyzes policies and programs that prevent, reduce, and alleviate economic distress. The prevention of economic distress requires job creation and retention programs and an integrated program of income supports. Economic distress may be reduced through reemployment, a shift in the family work effort, or participation in the informal economy. Families cope with economic distress through financial management, decisions regarding family composition, definitional coping, and the use of social supports. Large-scale economic changes and frequent recessions are challenging policymakers, communities, and families to develop creative and innovative strategies to prevent, reduce, and alleviate economic distress.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Blakely, E. J. and P. P. Shapira 1983 “Industrial restructuring and policies for public investment in advanced industrial societies.” Presented at the Annual Meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
2.
Brenner, M. H. 1973 Mental Illness and the Economy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press.
3.
Buss, T. F. and F. S. Redburn 1983 Shutdown at Youngstown. Albany: State University of New York Press.
4.
Buss, T. F. , F. S. Redburn, and J. Waldron 1983 Mass Unemployment. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
5.
Cobb, S. and S. Kasl 1977 Termination. Cincinnati: NIOSH.
6.
Cohn, R. M.1978“The effect of employment status change on self-attitudes.”Social Psychology41 (June): 81-93.
7.
Dooley, D. and R. Catalano1980“Economic change as a cause of behavioral disorder.”Psych. Bull. 87: 450-468.
8.
The Economic Situation1976“The myth of income cushions during the 1974-75 depression.”Urban League Rev.2 (Winter): 43-53.
9.
Farran, D. C. and L. H. Margolis 1983 “The impact of paternal job loss on the family.” Presented at the meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development.
10.
Ferman, L. A. and J. Gardner 1979 “Economic deprivation, social mobility, and mental health,” pp. 193-224 in L.A. Ferman and J. P. Gordus (Eds.) Mental Health and the Economy. Kalamazoo, MI: Upjohn Institute.
11.
Figueria-McDonald, J.1978“Mental health among unemployed Detroiters.”Social Service Rev.52 (September): 383-399.
12.
Fox, G. L. , R. F. Kelly, and A. W. Sheldon 1982 “Family responses to economic distress in the Detroit Metropolitan Area.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the North Central Sociological Association.
13.
Furstenberg, F. F., Jr. 1974 “Work experience and family life,” pp. 341-360 in J. O'Toole (Ed.) Work and the Quality of Life. Cambridge: MIT Press.
14.
Godus, J. P. 1983 “The human resource implications of plant shutdowns.” Presented at the Annual Meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
15.
Gordus, J. P. , P. Jarley, and L. A. Ferman 1981 Plant Closings and Economic Dislocation. Kalamazoo, MI: Upjohn Institute.
16.
Gore, S. 1977 “Social supports and unemployment stress.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.
17.
Harris, L.1982“Recession: direct hit on 1 family in 3.”Detroit Free Press (December 9): 12A.
18.
Kaufman, H. G. 1982 Professionals in Search of Work. New York: Wiley.
19.
Kelly, R. F. 1983 “Family policy research.” Unpublished paper.
20.
King, C. 1982 “The social impacts of mass layoff.”Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan. (unpublished)
21.
Krause, N. and S. Stryker 1980 “Job-related stress, economic stress, and psychophysiological well-being.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the North Central Sociological Association.
22.
Leventman, P. 1981 Professionals Out of Work. New York: Free Press.
23.
Liker, J. K. and G. H. Elder, Jr.1983“Economic hardship and marital relations in the 1930s.”Amer. Soc. Rev.48 (June): 343-359.
24.
Margolis, L. H. 1982 Helping the Families of Unemployed Workers. Chapel Hill: Univ. of North Carolina.
25.
Moen, P.1979“Family impacts of the 1975 recession.”J. of Marriage and the Family41 (August): 561-572.
26.
Pearlin, L. I. , M. A. Lieberman, E. Menaghan, and J. T. Mullan1981“The stress process.”J. of Health and Social Behavior19 (March): 18-26.
27.
Pearlin, L. and C. Schooler1978“The structure of coping.”J. of Health and Social Behavior19 (March): 2-21.
28.
Powell, D. H. and P. F. Driscoll1973“Middle-class professionals face unemployment.”Society10 (January): 18-26.
29.
Rapoport, R. 1981 “Unemployment and the family.”Loch Memorial Lecture, London, Family Welfare Association.
30.
Rayman, P. 1983 “Out of work.”Brandeis University. (unpublished)
31.
Root, K. 1983 “Human responses to plant closures.” Presented at the Annual Meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
32.
Root, K. 1977 “Workers and their families in a plant shutdown.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.
33.
Schlozman, K. L. 1979 “Women and unemployment,” pp. 290-312 in J. Freeman (Ed.) Women: A Feminist Perspective. Palo Alto: Mayfield.
34.
Siddique, C. M.1981“Orderly careers and social integration.”Industrial Relations20 (Fall): 297-305.
35.
Slote, A. 1969 Termination. New York: Bobbs-Merrill.
36.
Terry, S. L.1983“Work experience, earnings, and family income in 1981.”Monthly Labor Rev. (April): 13-20.
37.
Urquhart, M. A. and M. A. Hewson1983“Unemployment continued to rise in 1982 as recession deepened.”Monthly Labor Rev. (February): 3-12.
38.
Voydanoff, P. 1983 “Unemployment and family stress,” pp. 239-250 in Helena Z. Lopata and Joseph H. Pleck (Eds.) Interweave of Social Roles, Vol. 3 Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
39.
Voydanoff, P. 1978 “Unemployment and the family,” pp. 17-26 in June Sale (Ed.) Readings. Pasadena: The National Consortium for Children and Families.
