Changing family structure and youthful well-being: assessing the future.

PIP: The declining prevalence of the nuclear family in the United States is examined, and the consequences for the healthy development of children are considered. Attention is given first to research supporting the claim that nuclear families provide the optimum environment for child rearing and then to studies presenting differing results. Methodological and conceptual issues concerning studies in family structure are discussed. The author concludes that family structure in and of itself has little effect on child development and that an alternative theory, de-emphasizing structural inputs, is needed.^ieng