Lawrence Ganong - Böcker

"Coleman and Ganong recruited an outstanding group of scholars to contribute to the Handbook of Contemporary Families. Authors represent a wide array of disciplines, and the topics touch on every aspect of family life. The organization of the book is excellent and the writing of high quality. Scholars and students alike will find the book a valuable resource."                                                                                   --Alan Booth, Penn State University "Marilyn Coleman and Larry Ganong have produced a comprehensive handbook exploring the changes and challenges confronting contemporary families. The chapters, written by some of the most distinguished social scientists studying families, give a balanced research-based analysis of some of the most contentious issues of our time."                                                                 --E. Mavis Hetherington, University of Virginia "This useful handbook brings together many of the most important new findings and provocative ideas about America's diverse and changing families. An excellent resource."     --Stephanie Coontz, author of The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families What has happened to marriage and families? What is the current state of families? Where are families headed? Where is family scholarship headed? As families face challenges today brought on by events that have changed their perception of the world, there is a need for a clear assessment of what has happened to families in the past and an examination of some data-based theories about what is likely to happen in the future. The Handbook of Contemporary Families explores how families have changed in the last 30 years and speculates about future trends. Editors Marilyn Coleman and Lawrence H. Ganong, along with a multidisciplinary group of contributors, critique the approaches used to study relationships and families while suggesting modern approaches for the new millennium. The Handbook looks at how changes within the contemporary family have been reflected in family law, family education, and family therapy. Features of this Handbook:  Examines a diverse array of families and relationships in which people live, including chapters on alternative lifestyles, gay and lesbian relationships, economically distressed families, religion and families, racial and ethnic diversity, a feminist vision for families, older families, and the effect of computers and other technology on family relationships  Includes both a historical review and future speculation on the subjects covered in each chapter  Interdisciplinary contributors representing a variety of fields such as history, family studies, sociology, law, therapy, social work, psychology, nursing, and human developmentThe Handbook of Contemporary Families is an excellent resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, educators, and practitioners who study and work with families in several disciplines, including Family Science, Human Development and Family Studies, Sociology, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Social Work.

This book explores the topic of family obligations following changes in family structure caused by divorce and remarriage. Family obligations are commonly defined as the rights and duties that accompany family roles. They have been described as the "glue" that connects generations, as well as the "oughts" and "shoulds" that surround individual family relationships. This book is primarily concerned with normative beliefs about what family members should do for each other. It differs from previous accounts of family obligation norms because it specifically focuses on family responsibilities after divorce and remarriage, two events that affect an increasing number of families today. The authors draw extensively upon the findings of 13 studies of normative beliefs regarding post-divorce intergenerational family obligations. This book fills a gap in the present literature concerning family obligation. It addresses the weaknesses of prior research by focusing on family transitions and by presenting data from studies that employ contextual methods. The content will provide guidance to policymakers and helping professionals who work with families, and the unique focus and procedures of the studies are likely to set the standard for future assessments of normative beliefs about family obligations.

This book uses a strengths-based approach and resilience perspective to offer guidance on what works in creating effective stepfamily relationships, sharing findings and empirically supported best practices for stepfamily members and the family professionals that work with them.Drawing from over 2,500 studies, Ganong, Coleman, and Sanner present a comprehensive overview of research on what works to create positive and satisfying stepfamily relationships. Chapters address how to work with stepcouples, stepparents, biological parents, co-parents, stepsiblings and half-siblings, and biological and stepgrandparents, with illustrative case studies throughout. It emphasizes the diversity and complexity of stepfamilies, including work with LGBTQ+ stepfamilies, stepfamilies from various racial and ethnic groups, and stepfamily relationships across the life course, from childrearing stepfamilies to those formed later in life.This book is essential reading for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in strengthening stepfamily relationships, such as those studying or working in family science, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and social work.

This book uses a strengths-based approach and resilience perspective to offer guidance on what works in creating effective stepfamily relationships, sharing findings and empirically supported best practices for stepfamily members and the family professionals that work with them.Drawing from over 2,500 studies, Ganong, Coleman, and Sanner present a comprehensive overview of research on what works to create positive and satisfying stepfamily relationships. Chapters address how to work with stepcouples, stepparents, biological parents, co-parents, stepsiblings and half-siblings, and biological and stepgrandparents, with illustrative case studies throughout. It emphasizes the diversity and complexity of stepfamilies, including work with LGBTQ+ stepfamilies, stepfamilies from various racial and ethnic groups, and stepfamily relationships across the life course, from childrearing stepfamilies to those formed later in life.This book is essential reading for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in strengthening stepfamily relationships, such as those studying or working in family science, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and social work.

This book explores the topic of family obligations following changes in family structure caused by divorce and remarriage. Family obligations are commonly defined as the rights and duties that accompany family roles. They have been described as the "glue" that connects generations, as well as the "oughts" and "shoulds" that surround individual family relationships. This book is primarily concerned with normative beliefs about what family members should do for each other. It differs from previous accounts of family obligation norms because it specifically focuses on family responsibilities after divorce and remarriage, two events that affect an increasing number of families today. The authors draw extensively upon the findings of 13 studies of normative beliefs regarding post-divorce intergenerational family obligations. This book fills a gap in the present literature concerning family obligation. It addresses the weaknesses of prior research by focusing on family transitions and by presenting data from studies that employ contextual methods. The content will provide guidance to policymakers and helping professionals who work with families, and the unique focus and procedures of the studies are likely to set the standard for future assessments of normative beliefs about family obligations.

The American family has come a long way from the days of the idealized family portrayed in iconic television shows of the 1950s and 1960s. The four volumes of The Social History of the American Family explore the vital role of the family as the fundamental social unit across the span of American history. Experiences of family life shape so much of an individual’s development and identity, yet the patterns of family structure, family life, and family transition vary across time, space, and socioeconomic contexts. Both the definition of who or what counts as family and representations of the "ideal" family have changed over time. Available in both digital and print formats, this carefully balanced academic work chronicles the social, cultural, economic, and political aspects of American families from the colonial period to the present. Key themes include families and culture (including mass media), families and religion, families and the economy, families and social issues, families and social stratification and conflict, family structures (including marriage and divorce, gender roles, parenting and children, and mixed and non-modal family forms), and family law and policy. Features: Approximately 600 articles, richly illustrated with historical photographs and color photos in the digital edition, provide historical context for students. A collection of primary source documents demonstrate themes across time. The signed articles, with cross references and Further Readings, are accompanied by a Reader’s Guide, Chronology of American Families, Resource Guide, Glossary, and thorough index. The Social History of the American Family is an ideal reference for students and researchers who want to explore political and social debates about the importance of the family and its evolving constructions. Key Themes: Families and Culture Families and Experts Families and Religion Families and Social Change Families and Social Issues/Problems/Crises Families and Social Media Families and Social Stratification/Social Class Families and Technology Families and the Economy Families in America Families in Mass Media Families, Family Life, Social Identities Family Advocates and Organizations Family Law and Family Policy Family Theories History of American Families

This second edition synthesizes the emerging knowledge base on the diversity of stepfamilies, their inherent concerns, and why so relatively little is still known about them. Its extensive findings shed needed light on family arrangements relatively new to the literature (e.g., cohabitating stepparents), the effects of these relationships on different family members (e.g., stepsiblings, stepgrandparents), the experiences of gay and lesbian stepfamilies, and the stigma against non-nuclear families. Coverage reviews effective therapeutic and counseling interventions for emotional, familial, and social challenges of stepfamilies, as well as the merits of family education and self-help programs. The authors explore prevailing myths about marriage, divorce, and stepfamily life while expanding the limits of stepfamily research.Among the topics included:•The cultural context of stepfamilies.•Couple dynamics in stepfamilies.•Gay andlesbian couples in stepfamilies.   •The dynamics of stepparenting.   •Siblings, half-siblings, and stepsiblings.    •Effects of stepfamily living on children.•Clinical perspectives on stepfamily dynamics.For researchers and clinicians who work with families, it enriches the literature as it offers insights and guidelines for effective practice as well as possible avenues for future research.