Families Across Time ― A Life Course Perspective: Readings

Using a consistent theoretical orientation, Families Across Time explores the "life course" approach to family life--including parent-child, spousal, and sibling relationships. It reflects the diversity represented in contemporary families as they grapple with changes and transitions in family relationships during the life cycle. This volume of seventeen original essays is unique in its integration of research, theory, and application in a variety of topic areas related to family life. The contributors to this volume, which include prominent and established scholars as well as young professionals, address a diversity of family forms as well as all stages of family life--in contrast to the traditional emphasis on early stages.

The essays in this book represent a breadth of content and scholarship; at the same time, they are student-friendly and highly readable. Extensive case scenarios and other examples augment the content of each essay, serving as examples to enhance the reader's ability to understand the challenges families face over the life course. The book's approach emphasizes transitions and tasks in lieu of focusing on the characteristics of stages associated with family development. Different aspects of family life are examined up-close and across the life span for each topic covered.

Editors Sharon J. Price, Patrick C. McKenry, and Megan J. Murphy offer introductions to each section, which frame each set of essays and provide context for the reader. Discussion questions are included at the end of each chapter.