FATHERS UNEMPLOYMENT AND ADOLESCENTS SELF-CONCEPT

This study examined families in which fathers were affected by a steel mill shutdown, and tested hypotheses on the impact of unemployment on parent-child relations and adolescent self-concept. The hypotheses we re tested by comparing convenience samples of three types of intact fa milies with children between the ages of 12 and 18: continuously emplo yed, unemployed with slight income loss, unemployed with significant i ncome loss. As predicted, relationship with fathers were more negative when income loss was significant, but contrary to predictions, the re lationship with mothers were not more positive, and adolescent self-co ncept was not directly affected by unemployment or income loss. Howeve r, a path analysis showed that income loss affected adolescent self-co ncept indirectly through its impact on parent-child relations.