ABSTRACT
In many instances, families choose the extent to which religious doctrine influences the day-to-day functions of the family. For some groups, however, religious beliefs serve as the major framework for structuring family life. A family's social class or socioeconomic status presents a complex interaction among income, social status, and everyday living contexts. Cultural explanations focus on each economic group having distinct sets of attitudes, values, and behaviors that constitute a "culture" shared by those falling into specific income and occupational levels. Structural explanations for social class focus on the impact of differences in resources accessible to families that in turn influence everyday living situations. Many homeless families experience residential instability before becoming homeless, and for many of these families, homelessness is not a one-time event. Asian American families tend to be multigenerational, which is in keeping with a collectivist or interdependent value orientation toward the family unit.
