Full Description
Examines families - their challenges and successes - as they move through the life course.Family Interaction takes a family systems and a multigenerational, developmental framework. This text looks at the major conceptual models used to understand the patterns and interactional dynamics that operate in families. It provides readers with an overview of the basic tasks that all families must execute regardless of their particular composition or living situation and, at the same time, offers readers an appreciation of the variety and uniqueness in the ways in which each family develops its patterns of interaction.
Contents
IN THIS SECTION:PrefacePART I. Defining Families 1. The Family as a System 2. Family Strategies PART II. Models of Family Functioning 3. Structural Models 4. Intergenerational Models5. Contextual Models: Family Diversity PART III. Family Developmental StagesSection 1. Early Adulthood and Marriage 6. The Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood 7. Mate Selection and Family Development8. The Transition to Marriage: The New Marital System 9. Communication and Intimacy 10. Conflict in Marriage Section II The Parenting Years11. Families with Young Children: The Transition to Parenthood 12. The Parent-Child Relationship System Section III The Middle and Later Years of Family Development13. Family Tasks during Middle Adulthood 14. The Family in Later Life PART IV. Alternative Family Developmental Pathways 15. Death, Loss, and Bereavement 16. Divorce17. The Single-Parent Household 18. Remarriage and Step-Parenting *All chapters begin with "Chapter Overview" and conclude with "Conclusions" and "Key Terms."Part I Defining FamiliesChapter 1 The Family as a SystemThe Family as a System The Difficulty of Defining the FamilyThe Characteristics of Family SystemsStructural Properties of FamiliesStrategies and RulesThe Tasks That Families Must ExecuteFirst-Order TasksSecond-Order TasksThe Politics of the FamilyChapter 2 Family StrategiesFamily Strategies Identity StrategiesBoundary StrategiesMaintenance StrategiesStrategies for Managing the Family's Emotional EnvironmentStrategies for Managing Stress: Adaptability as a Second-Order TaskPart II Models of Family Functioning Chapter 3 Structural ModelsStructural Models of Family Functioning The Structural ModelMapping the Family StructureChapter 4 Intergenerational ModelsIntergenerational Models of Family Functioning Core Concepts in the Bowen ModelManaging Unresolved Issues with the Family of OriginThe Genogram: Insight into Intergenerational ProcessesChapter 5 Contextual Models: Family DiversityEthnicity A Metaperspective on Cultural DiversityThe Broader Racial and Ethnic ContextClass, Socioeconomic Status, and Family DiversityPoverty, Racism, and Family LifeAcculturation and Family DiversityEthnicity, Race, and Family StrategiesPart III Family Developmental StagesSection I Early Adulthood and MarriageChapter 6 The Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood The Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood The Individuation ProcessThe Individuation Process and Subsequent Development and AdjustmentIndividuation Difficulties and the Problems of YouthProblems of Forced IndividuationChapter 7 Mate Selection and Family DevelopmentMate Selection and Family Development Selecting a Lifetime CompanionComparison Levels: The Uniqueness of Our FiltersThe Impact of Family of Origin Experiences on Mate SelectionMate Selection and Relationship DynamicsChapter 8 The Transition to Marriage: The New Marital SystemA Post-Modern Perspective on Marriage The Tasks of the Newly Married CoupleChapter 9 Communication and IntimacyCommunication and Intimacy Defining CommunicationConversational StylesCommunication and Intimacy within MarriageChapter 10 Conflict in MarriageConflict in MarriageAreas of ConflictThe Underlying Sources of Conflict in MarriageThe Dynamics of Managing ConflictInteractional Patterns Leading to Marital Success and Failure Marital ViolenceSection II The Parenting YearsChapter 11 Families with Young Children: The Transition to Parenthood Parenthood as Just One Developmental Pathway The Changing Context of ParenthoodThe Structural Diversity Found Within Families with ChildrenThe Challenges Confronted by the Family with Young ChildrenChapter 12 The Parent-Child Relationship SystemThe Parent-Child Relationship System Dimensions of Parenting StyleDeterminants of Parenting StyleGender and Parenting StylesEthnic and Minority ParentingThe Effectiveness of Parenting Styles: Child Abuse and NeglectSection III The Middle and Later Years of Family DevelopmentChapter 13 Family Tasks During Middle Adulthood Family Tasks During Middle Adulthood The Marriage Relationship During the Middle-Adult YearsParent-Child Dynamics During Middle AdulthoodThe Demands of Being in the MiddleChapter 14 The Family in Later LifeThe Family in Later LifeMarriage During the Later-Adult YearsIntergenerational Dynamics During the Later YearsFamily System Dynamics and the Caregiving/Care-Receiving RelationshipPart IV Alternative Family Developmental Pathways Chapter 15 Death, Loss, and Bereavement Death, Loss, and Bereavement Death Within the Family SystemFactors Mediating the Family System's Response to DeathA Multigenerational, Developmental Perspective on DeathUnresolved Grief and Family StrategiesChapter 16 DivorceDivorceDivorce as a Family ProcessAdaptation Following DivorceAn Intergenerational Systems Perspective on Divorce Chapter 17 The Single-Parent HouseholdThe Single-Parent HouseholdDiversity within Single-Parent SystemsSingle-Parent Family Systems: Prevalence and ChallengesChallenges in Meeting Basic Tasks within Single-Parent SystemsAdaptation to Single-Parenthood: Sources of Social SupportChapter 18 Remarriage and Step-ParentingRemarriage and Step-Parenting A Developmental Model for Remarried Family SystemsProblematic Family System Dynamics in Remarried Step-Families
