Browsing by Author "Fuller, T. D."

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    Household Crowding and Family Relations in Bangkok
    Fuller, T. D.; Edwards, J. N.; Vorakitphokatorn, S.; Sermsri, S. (University of California Press, 1993-08)
    Cities in developing countries are growing ever larger and more dense, fostering congested household environments. Using data from Bangkok, this paper examines the effect of household crowding on multiple measures of family relations, looking at the possible ''social costs.'' The data show that objective household crowding does increase marital instability and arguments, and parent-child tensions. Subjective household crowding affects not only these three aspects of family relations, but also results in more frequent disciplining of children. These effects are largely mediated by psychological stress. The paper rejects the argument that subjective crowding is an effect, rather than a cause, of marital and family relations, and shows little difference between wives' and husbands' reactions to crowding. The consequences of household crowding, generally found to be selective and modest in North America and Europe, are stronger in Bangkok, a city with crowded conditions more typical of less developed nations.
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    Relationship Status, Health, and Health Behavior: An Examination of Cohabiters and Commuters
    Fuller, T. D. (University of California Press, 2010)
    A large amount of literature on relationship status, health, and health behavior indicates that marriage conveys health benefits. This literature, however, devotes relatively little attention to two theoretically interesting groups: unmarried cohabiters and married people who do not live with their spouse ("commuters"). The author hypothesizes that the health and health behaviors of these two groups will be intermediate between those of married people and unattached single individuals. Selective support is found for the hypothesis that the health behaviors of commuters are intermediate between those of married people and single people, but no support is found for the hypothesis that the health status of commuters is intermediate between that of married people and single people. Contrary to expectation, cohabiting persons tend to have poorer health status and health behavior than both their married and single counterparts. Also, while much previous research indicates that the health benefits of marriage are greater for men than women, the author finds that lacking a live-in partner (i.e., commuting or being single) appears to be more detrimental for women than men.