The relevance of the concept of intergenerational ambivalence for studying changes in family relations can be questioned. The viability of the intergenerational solidarity model is, however, confirmed. The concept of intergenerational ambivalence might be further explored in qualitative studies on family change.

Using a nationally representative survey (N ¼ 4,612), we analyze whether there is a difference in the Netherlands between cohabiting and married persons with regard to the frequency of contact with one's own family as well as the parents of the partner. Clustered regression analyses show that, as expected, cohabiting persons have less contact with family members. Results are consistent with the selection perspective, which attributes the lower levels of contact to background characteristics, influencing the orientation of the cohabiting toward family. The uncertainty perspective, which attributes the lower levels of contact with the parents of the partner to the greater uncertainty regarding the stability of cohabiting relationships, is partially supported.

This study has demonstrated how typological analysis captures both the complexities and dynamics of intergenerational relationships in mature families. By including behavioral, emotional, and normative aspects of later life intergenerational relationships, we told a story that was more about continuity than change.

The partner relationships of male prisoners prior to incarceration A comparative study between prisoners and the general population The current study examines the partner relationships of male prisoners prior to incarceration. Earlier studies on prisoners' partner relationships exclusively focused on the period during or after incarceration. However, knowledge on the pre-detention period is essential to establish any causal effects of incarceration on partner relationships. We describe a wide variety of aspects of prisoners' partner relationships: relationship history, current relationship status, and characteristics of the current relationship (quality, support, conflict, and partner violence). In addition, we make a direct comparison with partner relationships among the general population. We use unique data from the Prison Project (N = 1,909) and the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (NKPS; N = 2,718). The results show that prisoners' relationship histories are more instable, and characterized by less traditional relationship forms. Prior to imprisonment, partner relationships appear to be already more problematic.

Previous research on the dissolution of long-term romantic relationships has mostly focused on determinants that reflect either the characteristics of the individual partners or the characteristics of the relationship itself. The role of the social context in which couples are embedded has received less attention. This study assesses the association between three characteristics of the social context and the dissolution of long-term romantic relationships simultaneously: the prevalence of divorce in the network of the couple, the extent to which the networks of partners overlap each other, and the amount of social capital in the network of the couple. Using nationally representative panel data from the first and second waves of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study, partial support was found for the link between the prevalence of divorce and network overlap on the one hand, and the likelihood to dissolve longterm romantic relationships on the other hand, among a sample of 3406 married and 648 unmarried cohabiting respondents. The association with social capital was found to differ between married and unmarried cohabiting respondents, as well as to depend upon the type of relationship the social capital is based in. These findings were interpreted to reflect differences in the symbolic meanings of marital and cohabiting relationships, and differences in types of social capital to which a person has access: relationship-specific versus nonrelationship-specific social capital, with the former potentially impeding dissolution, and the latter potentially acting as an alternative to the relationship, thereby encouraging dissolution.