{"title":"Reflexive voices: Revealing the person behind the science","authors":"Caroline Sanner","doi":"10.1111/jftr.70007","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jftr.70007","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"383-385"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144901382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mobilizing family science in the digital era: A critical retrospective of the JFTR digital scholarship board","authors":"Tyler B. Jamison, Casey Scheibling","doi":"10.1111/jftr.70006","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jftr.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As digital platforms increasingly shape how families connect and gather information, family science must adapt its communication strategies to remain relevant and impactful. The <i>Journal of Family Theory & Review</i> (JFTR) Digital Scholarship Board (DSB) was created to translate scholarly insights into accessible content for scholars, practitioners, and the public. Using conceptual scaffolding from Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model and insights about media framing, we examine how the DSB functions within the virtual microsystem, linking academic research to individuals through mediated communication. Drawing on 10 years of DSB history and engagement data, we examine how shifting digital infrastructures reshaped the DSB's strategies and reach. We discuss tensions related to mistrust in science, platform transitions, content format, and academic labor that underlie this work. Ultimately, we argue that digital scholarship is vital to the public relevance of family science and offer lessons for sustaining meaningful research dissemination in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.</p>","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"365-382"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sharing a home, but not a family: The unspoken stories of cohabiting with divorced partners and their children","authors":"Linna Sai, Grace Gao","doi":"10.1111/jftr.70005","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jftr.70005","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper reflects on the experiences of two women cohabiting with heterosexual partners who have children from previous marriages. Using duoethnography, we explore the challenges and possibilities of sustaining relationships and managing shared spaces in these complex family structures. Through a queer theoretical lens, we examine how non-traditional family arrangements disrupt conventional gender roles and challenge nuclear family ideals. Unlike formalized stepfamily roles, cohabiting women occupy ambiguous positions, resisting societal caregiving expectations and rigid stepparent identities—dynamics that influence their personal and professional lives. Our findings contribute to stepfamily literature by centering the perspectives of cohabiting women, revealing how their roles remain fluid and continuously negotiated rather than predetermined. In doing so, we challenge the assumption that women in stepfamilies must inevitably adopt maternal roles. Ultimately, we advocate for broader recognition of diverse family forms and for social and organizational policies that better accommodate the complexities of contemporary relational arrangements.</p>","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"405-422"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jftr.70005","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144701469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Minority Family Stress Model (MFSM): Reconceptualizing minority stress within family systems","authors":"Muzi Nina Li, Xiang Zhou","doi":"10.1111/jftr.70004","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jftr.70004","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As global family structures diversify and marginalized communities gain visibility, traditional health disparity frameworks like Minority Stress Theory remain limited by their individualistic focus and fail to capture how chronic marginalization impacts families collectively. In response, we propose the Minority Family Stress Model (MFSM), a family health disparity mechanism framework that situates minority stress within ecological family systems. MFSM reconceptualizes minority stress as a multi-level, relational, and dynamic process operating within families, emphasizing how minority family identity moderates the impact of external and intrafamilial stressors on family health. By capturing how families interpret, negotiate, and adapt to minority stress across individual, subsystem, and whole-system levels, MFSM addresses critical gaps in current health disparities research. This model offers a paradigm shift from viewing minority stress as an intrapsychic burden to understanding it as a family-wide force, advancing contextually grounded, family-centered approaches to research, policy, and intervention across diverse marginalized populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"506-526"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jftr.70004","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144669820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luke T. Russell, Todd M. Jensen, Jonathon J. Beckmeyer, Chang Su-Russell
{"title":"Examining equifinality and multifinality using outcome-partitioned person-centered analyses: A proof-of-concept with youth developmental assets and health","authors":"Luke T. Russell, Todd M. Jensen, Jonathon J. Beckmeyer, Chang Su-Russell","doi":"10.1111/jftr.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Early general systems theorists proposed a key difference between living systems and physical systems is the widespread presence of equifinality and multifinality among living organisms. That is, in living systems, there are often variable pathways to the same outcomes (equifinality), or the same starting conditions can lead to disparate outcomes (multifinality). Family scientists, however, frequently use methods (adapted from the physical sciences) that fail to reflect these characteristics within their statistical models. In this paper, we propose and provide a preliminary proof-of-concept of how an outcome-partitioned set of person-centered analyses might be used to develop alternative models that more comprehensively capture equifinality and multifinality in living systems. This approach balances the needs for parsimony and utility in family theories and models of human development, relationships, and family systems while recognizing the diversity within which individuals and families navigate many pathways to success, difficulty, or something in-between.</p>","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"579-599"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jftr.70003","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145012947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A systematic review of correlates of stepparent–child relationship quality from children's perspectives: A 10-year update","authors":"Todd M. Jensen, Yushan Zhao","doi":"10.1111/jftr.70002","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jftr.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Stepfamilies are common and warrant attention from family theorists, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. The distinctness and centrality of stepparent–child relationships have prompted researchers to compile and synthesize study findings related to correlates of stepparent–child relationship quality. Building on a previous systematic review published in 2015, the purpose of this systematic review was to offer a 10-year update and synthesis of research focused on correlates of stepparent–child relationship quality from children's perspectives in the United States. Four electronic databases were searched and nine academic journals with a family science orientation were reviewed from late-2014 onward. Beginning with 462 potentially relevant records following deduplication, screening and review procedures yielded a final sample of 26 studies. Correlates of stepparent–child relationship quality from children's perspectives were grouped into one of the following six categories: individual characteristics, family characteristics, stepparent–child interaction, parent–child relational dynamics, stepcouple relational dynamics, and contextual factors. Limitations and implications are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"656-690"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jftr.70002","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144515146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Autism in romantic relationships: A content analysis of challenges and strengths (2013–2024)","authors":"Christopher L. Neu, Angela B. Bradford","doi":"10.1111/jftr.70001","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jftr.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Since the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Version 5 reconceptualized autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 2013, ASD research has broadened. To summarize what the field has identified regarding challenges and strengths in autistic romantic relationships, we conducted a content analysis review of peer-reviewed articles published from 2013 to 2024 using a systematic lens. Of the total possible relevant articles identified, 42 articles met our inclusion (peer reviewed articles) and exclusion criteria (e.g., focus on autistic children). The literature revealed several challenges in these relationships, including sensory sensitivities, stigmas, and communication barriers. Some strengths, such as pattern recognition and truthful communication, were found, but overall strengths-based research was lacking. There was no literature including relationships with both partners on the autism spectrum, and most studies only included individual-level data. Other gaps in the literature include barriers to relational support and limited inclusion of queer relationships. Future directions for research, practice, and policy are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"600-635"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Expanding the concept of parent involvement to special education: Considerations for inclusivity","authors":"Catherine R. Gaspar, Divya Sahay","doi":"10.1111/jftr.12634","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jftr.12634","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Parents of children with disabilities are distinctly involved with their children inside and outside of school as they partake in special education procedures and support individualized child needs. Yet standards for parent involvement are largely designed for parents of children without disabilities, making them potentially less meaningful for parents whose children are enrolled in special education. Conceptual parent involvement frameworks are the foundation for existing involvement standards and practices; thus, they may benefit from expansions that support the use of these models for families with children in special education. We explore the alignment of existing parent involvement frameworks within the context of special education and parenting a child with a disability. To advance inclusivity for families of children receiving special education services, we offer considerations for future conceptual work on parent involvement and discuss possible implications of such expansions for research, practice, and policy.</p>","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"423-445"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jftr.12634","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144370609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The gendered division of housework in North America: A systematic review from 2014 to 2024","authors":"Mylène Ross-Plourde, Mylène Lachance-Grzela","doi":"10.1111/jftr.70000","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jftr.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This systematic review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and examines empirical studies on the division of housework between mixed-gender partners in North America. Its objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of the determinants of that division and to critically review the methods used recently. Databases (PsycINFO, Scopus) were searched to identify empirical studies published in the last decade (2014–2024). Data including a summary of main results for the 38 included studies were extracted. All reviewed studies confirm that, in the past decade in North America, women have shouldered most of the responsibility for housework. Many of the determinants identified have a differential impact on men's and women's contributions to household labor, indicating that gender is intertwined with many personal and couple characteristics. Future studies should consider using dyadic and longitudinal designs to consider how both partners' characteristics interact and evolve over time.</p>","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"691-720"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jftr.70000","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144337541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Does stress promote or inhibit romantic partner support? A systematic review of competing hypotheses","authors":"Matthew A. Ogan, J. Kale Monk","doi":"10.1111/jftr.12633","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jftr.12633","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Stress can negatively impact individual and relationship functioning. Romantic partner support is often assessed as a moderator of the effect of stress on well-being. However, partner support is also conceptualized as a response to stress, highlighting a direct connection between stress and the support process. The support mobilization and deterioration models make competing claims about whether support increases or decreases in the face of stress, respectively. To clarify these rival assertions, this review synthesizes research on the direct effects of stress on partner support, identifying the circumstances in which support may occur. Results suggest that stress can prompt or inhibit romantic partner support depending on characteristics of the context in which it is elicited and study design. Discussion centers on methodological approaches to further clarify the effects of stress on support. Theoretical approaches to resilience must account for the influences of stressors on the resilience processes that are required to adapt.</p>","PeriodicalId":47446,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Family Theory & Review","volume":"17 3","pages":"742-773"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144311298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}