Couples, Kids, and Family Life [Paperback]

Since family takes on such highly varied forms, any discussion of what it is, who it is, or what family life is like is bound to be complicated--perhaps even controversial.Couples, Kids, and Family Lifeexamines these issues in an engaging and insightful way, approaching the realm of family from the inside out. Offering a distinctive view of what the social worlds of family life might look like from the standpoint of insiders, it examines family perspectives and scenarios though the eyes of partners, parents, children, and significant others. Featuring a series of specially commissioned chapters by leading scholars in the field, the book uses real-life examples to present a distinctive look at the social worlds of domestic life.
Divided into three parts,Couples, Kids, and Family Lifeincludes discussion questions after each chapter, suggesting ways of approaching the key concerns laid out in each section. Part I, Couples, focuses on married or soon-to-be married partners, addressing such topics as romanticism and realism in marriage, the categories of husband and wife, and marital equality. Part II, Parents and Kids, examines the perspectives of different actors in the family drama, concentrating on their various reactions to domestic challenges like teenagers' whereabouts, using the car, and gender socialization. Part III, Rearrangements, deals with family change, including the process of divorce, remarriage, and stepparenting.

Contributors
Introduction
PART I: COUPLES
1. I'm excited to be married, but... : Romance and Realism in Marriage,Emily Fairchild
2. Making Sense of Husbands and Wives ,Autumn Behringer
3. The Everyday Meaning of Marital Equality,Scott R. Harris
PART II: PARENTS AND KIDS
4. Being a Good Parent,Rebecca L. Warner
5. Keeping Tabs on Teenagers,Demie Kurz
6. Kids, Cars, and Family LiflC>