基本説明
Compares empirical data from several emerging family types (single, co-parent, and gay and lesbian among others) to studies of traditional nuclear families, and considers the effect of public policy and recent economic developments on the practice of marriage and the stabilization of the family.
Full Description
Family life has been radically transformed over the past three decades. Half of all households are unmarried, while only a quarter of all married households have kids. A third of the nation's births are to unwed mothers, and a third of America's married men earn less than their wives. With half of all women cohabitating before they turn thirty and gay and lesbian couples settling down with increasing visibility, there couldn't be a better time for a book that tracks new conceptions of marriage and family as they are being formed. The editors of this volume explore the motivation to marry and the role of matrimony in a diverse group of men and women. They compare empirical data from several emerging family types (single, co-parent, gay and lesbian, among others) to studies of traditional nuclear families, and they consider the effect of public policy and recent economic developments on the practice of marriage and the stabilization--or destabilization--of family.
Approaching this topic from a variety of perspectives, including historical, cross-cultural, gendered, demographic, socio-biological, and social-psychological viewpoints, the editors highlight the complexity of the modern American family and the growing indeterminacy of its boundaries. Refusing to adhere to any one position, the editors provide an unbiased account of contemporary marriage and family.
Contents
List of Illustrations List of Table Acknowledgments Introduction, by Elizabeth Peters and Claire M. Kamp Dush Part I Perspectives on Marriage 1. Historical and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Marriage, by Arland Thornton 2. Marriage and Family: The Evolutionary Ecological Context, by Bobbi S. Low 3. Gender Lens on Marriage, by Paula England 4. Institutional, Companionate, and Individualistic Marriage: A Social Psychological Perspective on Marital Change, by Paul R. Amato Part II. Contemporary Families 5. Single Parenthood and Child Well-Being: Trends, Theories, and Evidence, by Rachel Dunifon 6. Cohabitation and Parenthood: Lessons from Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews, by Wendy D. Manning, Pamela J. Smock, and Cava Bergstrom-Lynch 7. Examination of Child Well-Being in Stable Single-Parent and Married Families, by Claire M. Kamp Dush 8. Reconsidering the Association Between Stepfather Families and Adolescent Well-Being, by Megan M. Sweeney, Hongbo Wang, Tami M. Videon 9. Parenting by Gay Men and Lesbians: Beyond the Current Research, by Gary J. Gates and Adam P. Romero Part III. Strengthening Marriage 10. Supporting Healthy Marriage: Designing a Marriage Education Demonstration and Evaluation for Low-Income Married Couples, by Virginia Knox and David Fein 11. Differentiating Among Types of Domestic Violence: Implications for Healthy Marriages, by Michael P. Johnson Part IV. Future of Marriage 12. Growing Importance of Marriage in America, by Steven L. Nock 13. Future of Marriage and the State: A Proposal, by Tamara Metz 14. Why Won't African Americans Get (and Stay) Married? Why Should They?, by Shirley A. Hill 15. Race, Immigration, and the Future of Marriage, by Daniel T. Lichter and Warren A. Brown List of Contributors Index
