Families of offshore oil workers: Adaptations to cyclical father absence/presence

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Abstract
In this article, we examine the familial structures that develop among offshore oil‐worker families. Data were collected from interviews with 147 families. Results indicate six permanent familial structures among these families: egalitarian, alternating authority, contingent authority, marginal father, replacement/kin, and conflict. The sixth type—conflict—was divided into two subgroups: terminal conflict, the temporary response among those families unable to cope with the problem associated with nonstandardized work schedule, and habitual conflict, the response of families who disagreed on what familial strategies they should use.