Based on a unique, longitudinal study of 100 divorcing families with school-age children, this book argues that popular images of divorce, including those shared by many psychologists, are too individualistic, too negative, and too universalizing about an experience that can be very different for men and women, parents and children, and different…

Based on interviews with hundreds of remarried men and women, this guide to stepparenting realistically acknowledges the fears, doubts, and difficulties that affect the stepparenting situation, and offers practical help and insight into the many accompanying challenges and rewards. Following an introduction that acknowledges how few role-models…

Concerned with social contexts and culture as they apply to parenting, this volume, the fourth of five on parenting, deals specifically with socially defined groups of parents and social conditions that promote variations in parenting. The volume consists of the following 15 chapters: (1) "Ethnic and Minority Parenting" (Cynthia Garcia…

A detailed review of current research and state-of-the-art ideas concerning both communication processes and family functioning is presented in this collection of articles. The volume is organized around three sections. Part 1, "The Development of Family Communication Patterns," contains: (1) "Communication in Infancy"…

Noting that the failure rate of second (and subsequent) marriages is higher than that for first-time marriages, this book addresses the major issues confronting members of stepfamilies. Drawing on case studies and experiences with a broad range of stepfamily situations, the book provides valuable insights and practical advice to help stepfamilies…

Using information from four national surveys and a decade of research, this book demonstrates the connection between family structure and a child's prospects for success. It shows how divorce, particularly with often-attendant drops in income, parental involvement, and access to community resources, diminishes children's chances for wellbeing. It…

U.S. families are undergoing disconcerting changes. This book offers an explanation of the causes and consequences of today's family trends. The book demonstrates why a historically informed perspective on changing family roles and arrangements can be helpful in sorting through many family dilemmas and the conflicting messages given by political…