Families in the Twenty-First Century
Discussions and debates about the institution of the family persist in contemporary U.S. society. Some scholars and public figures claim that the family is declining or dying, or that the contemporary family is deficient in moral values. Other scholars argue that the family is caught in the larger culture wars currently taking place in the United States. Regardless of one’s perspective that the family is declining or caught in broader political struggles, family scholars are working to address important questions about the family, such as what is the future of marriage? Is divorce harmful to individuals, to the institution of the family, or to society? Why are rates of family violence so high? Are we living in a post-dating culture? How does poverty and welfare policy affect families? How is child rearing changing now that so many parents work outside the home, and children spend time with other caretakers? How are families socially constructed in different societies, cultures, and time periods?
Most sociologists and family scholars agree that the family is a dynamic social institution that is continually changing as individuals and other social structures in society change. The family also is a social construction with complex and shifting age, gender, race, and social class meanings. As we begin the twenty-first century, many excellent studies are currently investigating the changing structures of the institution of the family and the lived experiences and meanings of families. Families in the Twenty-First Century is a series of short texts and research monographs that provides a forum for the best of this burgeoning scholarship. One goal of this series is to recognize the diversity of families that exist in the United States and globally. A second goal is for the series to better inform pedagogy and future family scholarship about this diversity of families. The series also seeks to connect family scholarship to a broader audience beyond the classroom, by informing the public and ensuring that family studies are central to contemporary policy debates and to social action. Each short text contains the most outstanding current scholarship on the family from a variety of disciplines, including sociology, demography, policy studies, social work, human development, and psychology. Moreover, each short text is authored by a leading family scholar who brings their unique disciplinary perspective to an understanding of contemporary families. In addition to providing an assessment of the latest findings related to their family topic, scholars also examine the family utilizing an intersectional framework of race-ethnicity, social class, gender, and sexuality.
Series Editor, Susan J. Ferguson, invites book proposals from family scholars for Families in the Twenty-First Century. Please contact her for more information at:
Susan J. Ferguson, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa 50112
(641) 269-3133