Author Description

Current debates about the family have frequently focused on the idealized family of the 1950's - middle class, two parents, and two children. The Evolving American Family focuses on the lives of the majority of American families who do not live in this so-called ideal family situation. Examining the many types of contemporary families of today, chapters cover divorcing families, single parent families, step families, dual income families, adolescent parent families, adoptive families, and gay and lesbian families. The authors examine the social and historical context in which these new families have emerged and show the new conflicts and challenges to contemporary social policy that have arised, including custody disputes, the legal meaning of family, family poverty, parental kidnapping, abuse and neglect, and the economic and psychological problems facing young couples. The book also looks at the clash between the psychological and biological parents in resolving family disputes. The Evolving American Family examines the current state of all families and proposes new policies for strengthening those families as we move into the next century.