The role of intact family childhood on women's earnings capacity: implications for evidence-based practices.

This article examines the complexities of working with an evidence-based model to design intervention strategies benefiting individuals and families. It addresses the question, to what extent should the evidence of economic advantage for female children raised in two-parent families influence social work support for practices and policies that encourage marriage? The article reviews current research findings indicating benefits of two-parent families on children's well-being and contemporary policy prescriptions promoting marriage. It presents findings of the authors' study which considers the effects of being raised in an intact family on the economic future of young women. The evidence presented in the literature and found in our own study suggests that promotion of marriage may be a sound intervention strategy for parents interested in the economic advantages for their children later in life. For others, it may be the wrong choice based on women's personal circumstances. The association between early family structure and future well-being is further complicated by large gaps in the data on cultural and family diversity. Suggestions for social work practice are based on the synthesis of the evidence-based model and the values of the profession.

Increased wealth and income as correlates of self-assessed retirement.

This study examined whether retirement implies complete withdrawal from the labor force and the role that increased wealth and income play in regard to the nature of retirement. Data came from the Health & Retirement Study, Waves 1-5. Findings indicated that most study sample pre-retirees remained in the labor force as they moved into what are considered the normal retirement years. As they moved on average from 50+ years of age to 60+ years of age, increasing percentages of study sample pre-retirees reported themselves as completely retired. Those who viewed themselves as completely retired were far less likely to work than those who did not view themselves as completely retired. Of particular importance was the finding that increased income in 2000 decreased the likelihood of self-reported complete retirement. Equally important was the finding that increased assets had no effect on retirement status with the exception of survey year 1998 when increased assets decreased the likelihood of viewing oneself as completely retired. Findings suggested that pro-work retirement policies aimed at increasing labor force participation among pre-retirees and increasing the normal retirement age can be effective. Five pro-work policies were discussed.

The effects of socioeconomic status, perceived discrimination and mastery on health status in a youth cohort.

This study examined the influence of socioeconomic status, perceived discrimination, and sense of mastery over one's life on the health status of a sub-sample of a US cohort of youth (N = 969). When controlling for a variety of social characteristics and personal attributes, only sense of mastery over one's life, measured by the Pearlin Mastery Scale, affected physical and mental health statuses. Perceived discrimination affected only mental health status, while SES over the life course affected only physical health. Findings affirmed the efforts of professions like social work that stress self-determination and empowerment enabling individuals to enhance their own social functioning and improve conditions in their communities and in society at large. They also suggested that in regard to mental health advocacy efforts to decrease health disparities can find social justice related grounds based on gender.