Transitions are one of the most popular topics of study in the family area. Instead of comparing families at different stages of the family cycle, research questions are now more likely to center on pathways from one stage or state to another, such as the transitions to marriage, divorce, and remarriage (Elder, 1978a; Elder, Caspi, & Burton, 1988; Hareven, 1978). What factors account for their occurrence, timing, and duration? Adaptations to any transition are influenced by life history, by the nature of the event in question, and by its meaning. Studies today extend beyond the single transition and its probabilities to multiple , interlocking events (Hogan & Astone, 1986). Family transitions are also embedded in the course of family life, the individual's life span, and the larger environment.