Marriages and Families [with MySocLab Access Code]

by Nijole V. Benokraitis

"Changes, Choices, and Constraints" Marriages and Families offers students a comprehensive introduction to many issues facing families in the twenty- first century. The text's major theme "Changes, Choices, and Constraints" explores: Contemporary "changes "in families and their structure Impacts on the "choices "that are available to family members ""Constraints ""that often limit our choices Through this approach, students are better able to understand what the research and statistics mean "for themselves"! Marriages and Families balances theoretical and empirical discussions with practical examples and applications. It highlights important contemporary changes in society and the family. This text is written from a sociological perspective and incorporates material from other disciplines: history, economics, social work, psychology, law, biology, medicine, family studies, women's studies, and anthropology. "More about the themes: " "Changes"Examines how recent profound structural and attitudinal changes affect family forms, interpersonal relationships, and raising children. It reaches beyond the traditional discussions to explore racial-ethnic families, single-parent families and gay families as well as the recent scholarship by and about men, fathers, and grandfathers. Contemporary American marriages and families vary greatly in structure, dynamics, and cultural heritage. Thus, discussions of gender roles, social class, race, ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation are integrated throughout this book. To further strengthen students understanding of the growing diversity among today's families, the author included a series of boxes that focus on families from many cultures. "Choices"On the individual level, family members have many more choices today than ever before. People feel freer to postpone marriage, to cohabit, or to raise children as single parents. As a result, household forms vary greatly, ranging from commuter marriages to those in which several generations live together under the same roof. "Constraints"Although family members choices are more varied today, we also face greater macro- level constraints. Our options are increasingly limited, for example, by government policies. Economic changes often shape family life and not vice versa. Political and legal institutions also have a major impact on most families in tax laws, welfare reform, and even in defining what a family is. Because laws, public policies, and religious groups affect our everyday lives, the author has framed many discussions of individual choices within the larger picture of the institutional constraints that limit our choices.
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Genres: Textbooks, Nonfiction

608 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Vincent Nistico · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this text contains some valuable overview information on diverse family structures, it is unforgiveable that the chapter focused on marginalized orientations, gender identities, and intersex individuals was so blatantly incorrect.
The academic use of a word considered a slur, the lumping of intersex under transexuality, and the conflation of asexuality and alibidoism are so horrificly inaccurate that it intoduces doubt about the content of other chapters.

[Susan Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. Had to read it for a Psych course on family structures and this book goes into every imaginable family scenario from immigration, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual gender and orientation, as well as the different kinds of family structures from past to present. Not a clinical book. A book that is helping me understand American society better.

[Elizabeth Seals · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my Marriage and Family class. I didn't dread reading it because of how interesting it was.

[Mariah Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the 7th edition.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly decent read on Marriage and Family. Good insight on subject matter.

[LoveBug557]

Ninth Edition