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Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
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Many assumptions exist about the family as it existed in the past. Stephanie Coontz, a family historian, discusses the fallacy of many of our beliefs about families in the “good old days.”
Rather than looking for a single “perfect” family form, parents are encouraged to be flexible and creative in finding strategies that work for their particular family.
Parents and children face enormous pressure to have the children participate in many activities, often at the expense of “family time.” Yet families can reclaim a more balanced approach to family life, as this article attests.
Social scientists are examining the decline of the American family. From mobile family members living far from their relatives to those engaged in our and out familial conflict, fewer American families remain intact. This article provides both anecdotal and statistical evidence to explore this issue and its myriad causes.
Even before they are born, boys and girls experience hormonal influences on brain activity and these may later influence behavior and attitudes.
In this article, Taiwan is described as being “at the intersection of old and new value systems.” The role of women and the nature of male-female relationships retain remnants of traditional self-sacrificing, family-centered definitions; however, a “new good woman” with greater independence is evolving.
Emotional maturity is equated with expressing feelings in contemporary culture. In 50 years, gender stereotypes have reversed: women are now being considered more mature than men. School girls are 3 years ahead of boys in language skills. Male self-esteem is plummeting. Are males’ genetic traits being feminized by estrogen-like modern chemicals? The author explores this possibility.
Contrary to the common belief that men and women cannot be real friends, this author argues that sexual tensions are not a given and that male-female relationships are not inevitably romantic.
Interpersonal relationships are formed in the context of stories that we construct to explain and validate choices that we make in life. Robert Sternberg proposes and describes 12 love stories that inform intimate relationships.
Although we may want to believe that love is all that is needed to make a relationship work, Pepper Schwartz reports in this article that a number of compatibility factors actually are crucial for the success of the relationship.
Although television, other media, and even most people’s fantasies seem to suggest that sex is for the young, the experts in this article explain that lovemaking, like fine wine, gets better with age. Greater self-acceptance and self-awareness, increased male-female biological similarities, and long-term relationships actually intensify and enrich lovemaking.
As women age, they face a diminishing capacity to produce a child. Assisted reproduction technologies may improve their odds of having a child, but there are risks associated with these technologies.
The number of caesarean section deliveries has increased dramatically in recent years. Currently, 25 percent of births in the United States are via C-sections. This article addresses possible causes for this increase and potential risks of C-sections.
New scientific advances have been made in understanding the future impact of life in the uterine environment. Increasingly, we are faced with questions regarding prenatal health and its long-term effects.
Cross-cultural research in child development shows that parents readily accept their society’s prevailing ideology on how babies should be treated, usually because it makes sense in their environmental or social circumstances.
The myth of marriage presents it as a meeting of two perfect soul mates. In reality, making marriage work can be a difficult and daunting task. The author describes the work being done at the Family Research Laboratory by John Gottman where efforts are being made to unlock the secrets of happy marriages.
Increasing numbers of couples are choosing to forgo marriage for cohabitation. Some do this as a precursor of marriage, seeing it as a test. Others see marriage as a troubled institution and view cohabitation as a less painful alternative.
Using three dialogues from couples, the authors demonstrate how to detect troubled relationships. Results of actual research are also shared in order to enable the reader to detect problems.
Murray Straus, a renowned long-time researcher on the effects of corporal punishment, documents the negative effects of spanking, both short- and long-term.
Contrary to the suggestion that “parents don’t matter,” this article details a 13-year study in Dominica, Santa Domingo, that claims that family life and parents are central to mental health among children.
What happens to self-esteem and emotional/personality development when babies are rushed to do everything sooner and better than others? The author contends that parenting and infancy should be more about love of learning. Through play, babies discover their individuality and genetically driven interests. Pressuring them to conform to gender-appropriate activities (e.g., sports, ballet) or academic pursuits is miseducation.
When men become fathers and are involved in rearing their children, they undergo hormonal changes that shape their behavior and encourage them to feel a strong bond with their children.
Public policy regarding parental responsibilities needs to attend to the particular concerns of low-income African American fathers. These men may not marry their partners, but many remain involved in their children’s lives. Thus, the emphasis should be on strengthening existing family forms rather than enforcing a simplistic solution.
Traditional households, headed by a married couple, are on the wane, while single-parent households are rising in numbers. What are the effects on children of being raised in these households, and how do these children differ from those raised in traditional households?
This article addresses the controversy regarding potential short- and long-term risks to children raised in same-sex households. In the review of the literature, the author found no difference between children raised in same-sex households and those raised by heterosexual couples.
Although it is a common belief that sibling conflicts will naturally transform into sibling closeness, aging siblings sometimes find that closeness in middle and old age may be an empty wish. Old patterns and “emotional baggage” can get in the way of a sibling relationship.
Research indicates that a strong likelihood of parental disapproval follows a lesbian daughter’s coming out. Partners often provide a beneficial effect on intergenerational relationships between parents and their lesbian daughter.
This article discusses the potential risks of promoting marriage as the primary solution for social and moral problems and of making divorce more difficult, even when violence is present in the relationship. Combined with a “blame the victim” mentality, these efforts threaten to roll back efforts to combat domestic violence.
Couples often list a good sex life as important to married life, yet outside demands on the partners may lead to problems in their sexual relationship. This is particularly true during the partners’ demanding and stressful middle years. Yet couples who maintain an intimate sexual relationship through these years experience a tremendous return on their investment in their relationship.
Affairs are never just about sex; they signal problems in the marriage. This article presents six examples of problems in marriages that could lead to affairs.
Although men and women are attempting to adapt to changing gender roles, gender differences continue to exist in the workplace and at home. One result of this struggle is exhaustion for both men and women.
Controversy swirls around day care, and attention has been placed on the potential risks to children associated with day care. For example, day care may make children more aggressive than children who are cared for at home. Yet day care can lead to greater intellectual achievement on the part of the children as well.
Families of those with mental illness are often viewed as causing or contributing to the illness. Yet families can be one of the most important factors in the treatment of mental illness.
For children, is marriage always preferable to divorce? Mavis Hetherington reports from her long-standing research program that parental divorce does not have the dramatic negative effect on children that it is commonly believed to have. In some cases, parental divorce is preferable to living in a hostile and emotionally toxic household.
In recent years, divorce has become increasingly easier. The impact that this experience has on the partners and what should be done about taking marriage seriously are discussed in this article.
Is it possible to create a positive, adult relationship with one’s ex-spouse after the end of a marriage? The author argues that a “healthy breakup” requires hard work and commitment from both parties, but it is possible.
Going through a divorce does not necessarily provide anyone with insight on what went wrong and what is needed to enter a satisfying remarriage. This article presents reasons for why this is so and suggests methods of successfully remarrying.
Creating and maintaining a successful blended family is a challenging proposition. Realism and flexibility are key among the characteristics identified in this article.
As the population ages, families are faced with the question of how to assist and care for aging relatives. Nursing homes are only one of the choices that can be made in an increasing diversity of elder-care choices.
This touching, personal account presents one woman’s experience of the stillbirth death of her daughter.
Death, illness, and divorce leave children dealing with a tremendous sense of loss and confusion. They need support and comfort from adults in their lives. They also need adults to understand that their grief will not look like adult grief, and that their developmental level determines how much they can understand and what their behavior will be.
Looking at our family histories for patterns of behavior can help us to understand the decisions we make in relationships and what draws us to other people.
Adolescents are reexaming their moral values, drug use, language, racism, gender roles, and career choices in the wake of September 11, 2001. Family and patriotism have become cool again. Many more students want to understand Arabs and Islam than react aggressively against them. Reducing stress and seeking peace are goals of youth.
Interviewing family members, using oral history techniques, can enrich one’s understanding of family members and create a sense of “place” in one’s family. This article describes how one might go about doing such an interview.
In this article, Joseph Coates identifies five trends that will have dramatic effects on family life in the future: stress, economics, divorce, nontraditional families, and aging families.
Holly Morris examines the science of contentment, happiness, and optimism. Morris shares with the reader scientific insights into why people are or are not happy. Happy people generally establish good relationships with family and friends that promote an upward spiral of continuing happiness. A self-scoring quiz is provided.
This scholarly article explores the definitions and classification of family rituals. Ways of differentiating rituals from routines as well as reports of empirical studies of the use of family rituals are also presented.
Family gatherings provide opportunities for rituals of reconciliation and healing. This article addresses ways in which this can take place.
The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
