Families in a Global Context

by Wilson, Stephan M.

• ISBN13: 9780789027085
• ISBN10: 0789027089
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-06-18
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

How are families the same or different around the world? Families in a Global Context puts the similarities and differences into perspective, presenting an in-depth comparative analysis of family life in 17 countries around the world. Contributors discuss different countries' family life by using a standard framework to review major influences and patterns. The framework allows readers to do comparative reflection across several countries on a variety of daily living elements, including social and economic forces such as urbanization and modernization, changes in gender/courtship/spousal patterns, and war. This book provides an informative illustration of current as well as future trends of family life worldwide.

Table of Contents

About the Editors	p. xv
Contributors	p. xvii
Families in Global Context: Understanding Diversity Through Comparative Analysis	p. 1
Organization of the Book and of the Chapters	p. 3
Lessons Learned	p. 6
Understanding Families: Conceptualizations of Culture and Family	p. 7
Understanding Families: Appreciating Intra- and Intercultural Diversity in "Being Family"	p. 9
Understanding Families: A Comparative Analysis Perspective	p. 10
Europe: Family Life in Wales, Sweden, Germany, Romania, and Italy
The Family in Wales: Change and Transformation	p. 17
Introduction	p. 17
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 20
Families and Children	p. 24
Families and Gender	p. 28
Families and Stress	p. 35
Families and Aging	p. 37
Other Family Situations	p. 41
Concluding Comments	p. 43
Diversity of Families in Sweden	p. 47
Introduction	p. 47
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 49
Families and Children	p. 55
Families and Gender	p. 58
Families and Stress	p. 61
Families and Aging	p. 64
Other Family Situations	p. 67
Concluding Comments	p. 68
Diversity in Families: Germany	p. 71
Introduction	p. 71
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 75
Families and Children	p. 78
Families and Gender	p. 82
Families and Stress	p. 84
Families and Aging	p. 88
Other Family Situations	p. 90
Concluding Comments	p. 97
Stress and Coping Among Romanian Families in the Post-Communist Period	p. 99
Introduction	p. 99
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 102
Families and Children	p. 106
Families and Gender	p. 115
Families and Stress	p. 117
Families and Aging	p. 119
Other Family Situations	p. 121
Concluding Comments	p. 123
Family, Italian-Style	p. 127
Introduction	p. 127
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 130
Families and Children	p. 133
Families and Gender	p. 136
Families and Stress	p. 139
Families and Aging	p. 140
Other Family Situations	p. 144
Concluding Comments	p. 146
Africa: Family Life in Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Kenya
Family Patterns in Sierra Leone	p. 153
Introduction	p. 153
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 156
Families and Children	p. 163
Families and Gender	p. 168
Families and Stress	p. 172
Families and Aging	p. 176
Other Family Situations	p. 178
Concluding Comments	p. 179
Families and Households in South Africa	p. 181
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 186
Families and Children	p. 189
Families and Gender	p. 196
Families and Stress	p. 199
Families and Aging	p. 201
Other Family Situations	p. 204
Concluding Comments	p. 205
Family Diversity in Kenya	p. 207
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 212
Families and Children	p. 217
Families and Gender	p. 219
Families and Stress	p. 222
Families and Aging	p. 227
Other Family Situations	p. 230
Concluding Comments	p. 231
Middle East: Family Life in Turkey and Iran
The Family in Turkey: The Battleground of the Modern and the Traditional	p. 235
Introduction	p. 235
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 240
Families and Children	p. 247
Families and Gender	p. 252
Families and Stress	p. 256
Families and Aging	p. 258
Other Family Situations	p. 259
Concluding Comments	p. 262
Family and Family Change in Iran	p. 265
Introduction	p. 265
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 268
Families and Children	p. 277
Families and Gender	p. 280
Families and Stress	p. 284
Families and Aging	p. 288
Other Family Situations	p. 290
Concluding Comments	p. 291
Asia and Oceania: Family Life in India, China, the Philippines, and Australia
Family and Tradition in Modern India	p. 295
Introduction	p. 295
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 299
Families and Children	p. 308
Families and Gender	p. 317
Families and Stress	p. 317
Families and Aging	p. 318
Other Family Situations	p. 320
Concluding Comments	p. 321
Chinese Family-Developments and Changes	p. 325
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 330
Families and Children	p. 337
Families and Gender	p. 342
Families and Stress	p. 345
Families and Aging	p. 348
Other Family Situations	p. 350
Concluding Comments	p. 351
The Family in the Philippines	p. 353
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 355
Families And Children	p. 360
Families and Gender	p. 364
Families and Stress	p. 368
Families and Aging	p. 372
Other Family Situations	p. 375
Concluding Comments	p. 378
Australian Families: Social and Demographic Patterns	p. 379
Introduction	p. 379
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 382
Families and Children	p. 387
Families and Gender	p. 392
Families and Stress	p. 396
Families and Aging	p. 400
Other Family Situations	p. 404
Concluding Comments	p. 405
Latin America: Family Life in Brazil, Mexico, and Cuba
Brazilian Families in the Confrontation Between Hierarchy and Equality	p. 409
Introduction	p. 409
Couple Formation And Marital Dynamics	p. 414
Families and Children	p. 419
Families and Gender	p. 423
Families and Stress	p. 426
Families and Aging	p. 430
Other Family Situations	p. 432
Concluding Comments	p. 435
Mexican Families: Sociocultural and Demographic Patterns	p. 437
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 443
Families and Children	p. 447
Families and Gender	p. 451
Families and Stress	p. 455
Families and Aging	p. 457
Other Family Situations	p. 461
Concluding Comments	p. 463
Family, Marriage, and Households in Cuba	p. 465
Couple Formation and Marital Dynamics	p. 471
Families and Children	p. 475
Families and Gender	p. 480
Families and Stress	p. 482
Families and Aging	p. 484
Other Family Situations	p. 485
Concluding Comments	p. 487
Emerging Trends
Emerging Trends for Family Scholarship Across Societies	p. 495
The Future	p. 497
Concluding Comments	p. 511
References	p. 515
Index	p. 577
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