The Australian government recently announced a parliamentary inquiry to investigate whether a legal presumption of joint residence should become part of Australian family law - that is, if parents separate and cannot agree on arrangements for their children, the starting point should be that children spend equal time with each parent. The AIFS submission to...

Over the last twenty years there has been a substantial increase in the proportion of lone mothers employed part-time, while the proportion employed full-time is much the same in 2002 as it was in 1983. The experience of couple mothers is quite different, with both full-time and part-time employment increasing at similar rates. This paper...

In this paper Wendy Stone, Matthew Gray and Jody Hughes investigate the extent to which an individual's 'stock' of social capital relates to labour force outcomes, over and above more well established determinants. In particular, they examine how family and kinship networks, friends and neighbours relate to individual labour market outcomes, compared with the role...

There have been important changes over the last 25 years in the way in which men and women form partnered relationships. David de Vaus, Lixia Qu and Ruth Weston argue that taking a longer-term perspective provides a better understanding of these trends. Within the last quarter century family structures and relationships have changed in significant...

Despite the challenges and problems that confront young people today, many find their lives to be satisfying, rich and full. In this article Diana Smart and Ann Sanson discuss the nature and antecedents of a key attribute which fosters well being and interpersonal relationships - social competence. Using data from the Australian Temperament Project currently...