FCCS Home | Faculty |

Baton Rouge, Louisiana |

Home >Faculty>Loren Marks

Loren Marks
Associate Professor
Family, Child, and Consumer Sciences
School of Human Ecology
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge , LA 70803
Phone: 225-578-2405
Fax: 225-578-2697
Email:lorenm@lsu.edu

Research Interests:
My primary research interest is studying how faith influences marriage and family life. Along with my colleague Dave Dollahite (BYU) we have interviewed nearly 200 diverse religious families here in the United States. I also have an interest in strong African American marriages and families.

See:www.youtube.com/watch?v=atVTejG6U_U

Recent Publications:
(2008-2009 only)

Marks, L. D., ., Hopkins, K., Chaney, C., Nesteruk, O., & Sasser, D. (in press). “My kids and wife have been my life”: A qualitative study of married African-American fathers. In R. Coles & C. Green (Eds.), Dismissing the myth: The persistence of Black fatherhood in America. New York: Columbia University..

Marks, L. D.,Cherry, K., & Silva, J. (in press). Faith, crisis, coping, and meaning making after Katrina: A qualitative, cross-cohort examination. In K. Cherry (ed.), Lifespan Perspectives on Natural Disasters: Coping with Katrina, Rita and other Storms. New York: Springer.

Laird, R. D., Marrero, M. D., & Marks, L. D. (in press). Adolescent religiosity as a protective factor for delinquency: Review of evidence and a conceptual framework for future research. Delinquency: Causes, reduction, and prevention. Hauppage, NY: Nova Science..

Silva, J., Cherry, K., & Marks, L. D., (in press). The psychology behind helping and prosocial behaviors: An examination from intention to action in an adult population. In K. Cherry (ed.), Lifespan Perspectives on Natural Disasters: Coping with Katrina, Rita and other Storms. New York: Springer

Holmes, E. K., Baumgartner, J., Marks, L. D., Palkovitz, R., & Nesteruk, O. (in press). Contemporary contradictions and challenges facing married fathers and mothers. In F. Columbus (Ed.), Marriage: Roles, stability, and conflict. Hauppage, NY: Nova Science.

Dollahite, D. C., & Marks, L. D. (in press). A conceptual model of processes in a diverse, national sample of highly religious families. Review of Religious Research, 50 (4).

Chaney, C., Marks, L. D., Sasser, D. D., & Hopkins, K. D. (in press). “Train up a child in the way…”: A qualitative study of how the Black church influences parents.In F. Columbus (Ed.), Family Relations. Hauppage, NY: Nova Science.

Nesteruk, O., Marks, L. D., & Garrison, M. E. (in press). Immigrant parents’ concerns regarding their children’s education in the U.S. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal.

Nesteruk, O., & Marks, L. D. (2009).Grandparents across the ocean: Eastern European immigrants’ struggle to maintain intergenerational relationships. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 40 (1).

Marks, L. D. (2008). Prayer and marital intervention: Asking for divine help…or professional trouble? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 27, 678-685.

Marks, L. D., Hopkins, K., Chaney, C., Nesteruk, O., Monroe, P., & Sasser, D. (2008). “Together, we are strong”: A qualitative study of happy, enduring African-American marriages. Family Relations, 57, 171-184.

Batson, M., & Marks, L. D. (2008). Making the connection between prayer, faith, and forgiveness in Roman Catholic families. The Qualitative Report, 13, 394-415.

Marks, L. D., & Beal, B. (2008). Preserving peculiarity as a people: Mormon distinctness in values and internal structure. In C. K. Jacobson, J. P. Hoffmann, and T. B. Heaton (Eds.), Revisiting “The Mormons”: Persistent themes and contemporary perspectives (pp. 258-285). Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah Press.

Other Notable Publications:

Marks, L. D. (2006). Religion and family relational health: An overview and conceptual model. Journal of Religion and Health, 45, 603-618.

Marks, L. D., Swanson, M., Nesteruk, O., & Hopkins-Williams, K. (2006). Stressors in African American marriages and families: A qualitative study. Stress, Trauma, and Crisis: An International Journal, 9, 203-225.

Dollahite, D. C., & Marks, L. D. (2006). Family and community nurturing spirituality in Latter-day Saint children and youth. In K. Yust, A. N. Johnson, S. E. Sasso, & E. C. Roehlkepartain (Eds.), Nurturing childhood and adolescent spirituality: Perspectives from the world’s religious traditions (pp. 394-408). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Marks, L. D. (2005). How does religion influence marriage?: Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim perspectives. Marriage and Family Review, 38, 85-111.

Marks, L. D., Nesteruk, O., Swanson, M., Garrison, M. E. B., & Davis, T. (2005). Religion and health among African Americans: A qualitative examination. Research on Aging, 27, 447-474.

Marks, L. D. (2005). Religion and bio-psycho-social health: A review and conceptual model. Journal of Religion and Health, 44, 173-186.

Dollahite, D. C., & Marks, L. D. (2005). How highly religious families strive to fulfill sacred purposes. In V. Bengtson, A. Acock, K. Allen, P. Dillworth-Anderson, & D. Klein (Eds.), Sourcebook of family theory and research (pp. 533-541). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Marks, L. D. (2004). Sacred practices in highly religious families: Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim perspectives. Family Process, 43, 217-231.

Dollahite, D. C., Marks, L. D., & Goodman, M. (2004). Religiosity and families: Relational and spiritual linkages in a diverse and dynamic cultural context. In M. J. Coleman & L. H. Ganong (Eds.), The handbook of contemporary families (pp. 411-431). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Marks, L. D., & Palkovitz, R. (2004). American fatherhood types: The good, the bad, and the uninterested. Fathering, 2, 113-129.

Marks, L. D., & Dollahite, D. C. (2001). Religion, relationships, and responsible fathering in Latter-day Saint families of children with special needs. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 18, 625-650.

Teaching:
UNDERGRADUATE: Marriage and Parenting (HUEC 2091); Seminar in Human
Ecology/Internship Preparation (HUEC 3090); Internship in Family, Child, and
Consumer Agencies (HUEC 4067)
GRADUATE: Contemporary Family (HUEC 7051); Qualitative Research Methods
(HUEC 7052); Theories in Family Science (HUEC 7057)

Recent Awards:
2004 Paper of the Year Award, NCFR Religion and Family Life Section
2004 Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award, LSU School of Human Ecology
2005 Tiger Athletic Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award, LSU College of Agriculture
2005 Jack Shand Research Award, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
2008 LSU Rainmaker Award – Top 100 LSU Research Faculty for 2008

Grants and Contracts:
2005 Marks, L. D. When Faith Comes Home: A Qualitative Study of 150
Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Families. Society for the Scientific Study of Religion,
Jack Shand Research Award.

2005 Degreenia, K., LeJeune, E., Lawrence, F. C., Marks, L., & Burczyk-Brown, J. J.
The Influence of Parents on Students' Money Management and Credit Behaviors. LSU
College of Agriculture Undergraduate Research Grant.

2004 Marks, L. D. Why Religious Beliefs, Practices, and Communities Matter:
A National Qualitative Study of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian Families,
Proposal submitted to Faculty Research Grant Program, LSU Office of Research
and Graduate Studies.

2004 Marks, L. D. A Qualitative Test of a Conceptual Model of How Highly
Religious Families Strive to Fulfill Sacred Purposes. Louisiana Board of
Regents Travel Grant for Emerging Faculty.

2004 Garrison, M. E., & Marks, L. D. Major Coastal Storms and
Family Functioning. Quick Response Grant Program, Natural Hazards
Center.

2003 Marks, L. D., & Garrison, M. E. B. Children, Mothers, Fathers, and Family
Challenges: A Mixed-Method Study of Family Stress, Coping Processes, and
Children’s Outcomes. Billie Collier Challenge Grant.

2003 Marks, L. D. The Meaning and Influence of Religious Beliefs in Families:
Muslim, Jewish, and Christian Perspectives. LSU Council on Research.