Bringing into historical perspective the critical conflict between woman's right to equality of opportunity and the demands of the family, Degler shows how the modern family has been shaped by women's search for greater autonomy
it actually tries to connect family trends with the major american history events. novel idea, still not matched by most family historians. due to the nature of this book, it's filled with facts, figures, and an onslaught of dates (not always in order). slightly difficult to navigate through chronologically (which is also how most family historians approach discussing the american family). reads a little like a sociology book (but not really, and those who have read sociologly books know what i mean), which is understandable since a good portion of the matter comes from sociology studies.
Very educational, wonderful history of Women's roles within the family, but I felt like it took a very looooong time to say what it had to say, and I didn't always appreciate the leftist feminine tone (especially the ending conclusion which seemed to suggest that families get in the way of women finding self-realization).