Full Description
This book examines current research on key issues widely debated in contemporary family sociology. Contributors present emerging perspectives on the dynamics and challenges related to changing family forms and increasing family diversity in various countries or regions. The analyses reveal the multidimensional nature of living arrangements, parenting, and policies in a context of long-term social changes.
Chapters provide empirical and theoretical insights into issues faced by families today, including custody arrangements for post-separation parenting, the pathways to parenthood for LGBTQ+ families, and the struggles of transnational and migrating families. In addition, the book evaluates global declining marriage rates, as well as child and elder care policies in ageing populations. The contributors advocate for research and policy developments to better reflect the move away from traditional societal frameworks, and emphasize the importance of contextual factors, such as identity, culture and policy regimes in shaping the lived experience of doing family.
The Sociology of Families is an essential resource for scholars and students in the social sciences, particularly those interested in families and the sociology of gender. Professionals and policymakers specialising in social care, social work and family policy will also benefit from the book's valuable insights.
Contents
Contents
PART I Introduction
1 Introduction: Contemporary issues in the sociology of families in international context 2
Marina A. Adler and Karl Lenz
PART II Couple relationships: Is marriage an institution in decline?
2 The decline in marriage in France, Germany, and Sweden 11
Karl Lenz, Marina A. Adler, and Anne-Laure Garcia
3 A living institution 33
Julia Pauli
PART III Caring for children and older adults: The effects of social and demographic change
4 Trends in time with children in European countries 53
Caroline Berghammer and Melissa A. Milkie
5 Caring for older adults in the context of shifting demography and norms 72
Christine A. Mair
PART IV Post-separation families: The challenges of coparenting
6 Custody arrangements following separation and divorce in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland 92
Tino Schlinzig, Claudia Recksiedler, Christine Entleitner-Phleps, and Ulrike Zartler
7 Coparenting among divorced and separated parents in the United States 112
Luke T. Russell and Jonathon J. Beckmeyer
PART V Diverse pathways to parenthood: Family forms that are not heteronormative
8 LGBTQ+ families in Germany 133
Mona Motakef, Julia Teschlade, and Christine Wimbauer
9 Not just mum and dad 153
Ellen Davenport-Pleasance and Kate Luxion
PART VI Gender and family policies: How can policies help parents with childcare?
10 Comparing childcare policies in Lithuania and the Czech Republic 173
Aušra Maslauskaitė and Hana Hašková
11 Promoting fatherhood through statutory paid parental leave policies 193
Guðný Björk Eydal, Ásdís A. Arnalds, and Ingólfur V. Gíslason
PART VII Migrating families: The challenges of spanning borders and cultures
12 Migrants and transnational families in Europe 213
Deborah Fahy Bryceson
13 The transnational and multigenerational consequences of "illegality" for Latina/o families 234
Alejandra Pedraza
