Families in America - (Sociology in the Twenty-First Century) by Susan L Brown (Paperback)

About the Book

"Charting the diverse pathways of family life, this book addresses how family formation and dissolution unfold over the life course with an emphasis on how these trends differ across subgroups. Reflecting larger societal patterns of economic inequality, family pathways are structured differently for the most and least advantaged. The book documents current trends in singlehood, cohabitation, marriage, and childbearing as well as widowhood, divorce, and remarriage. It also provides a critical lens for interpreting why family change occurs and its significance for the well-being of children and adults. Today's family experiences are contexualized in a larger sociohistorical context to show that family change is persistent across historical time. The challenges families face inform policy debates on topics such as welfare reform, work-life balance, and population aging. The book concludes with an assessment of how the demography of families is likely to shape the familial experiences of future generations"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

In this accessible, engaging, and up-to-date course book, Susan L. Brown employs ethnographic vignettes and demographic data to introduce students to twenty-first century perspectives on contemporary families. Appropriate as a primary or secondary text in classes on family and marriage, this book probes momentous shifts in the definition of family, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage and policy debates on welfare reform and work-family issues. Brown also explores the rise in nonmarital childbearing and single-mother families and the decline of "traditional" marriage by delving into the historical roots of family change, current trends of family formation and dissolution, and the implications of family change for the well-being of adults and children. With a lens toward socioeconomic inequality and racial-ethnic variation in family patterns, Families in America illustrates how family diversity is now the norm.

The Sociology in the Twenty-First Century series introduces students to a range of sociological issues of broad interest in the United States today, with each volume addressing topics such as family, race, immigration, gender, education, and social inequality. These books--intended for classroom use--will highlight findings from current, rigorous research and demographic data while including stories about people's experiences to illustrate major themes in an accessible manner. Learn more about the Sociology in the Twenty-First Century Series.

From the Back Cover

"I read Susan Brown's book with pleasure. It is a succinct and savvy account of our rapidly changing family system. It stands out as an empirically rich and judicious treatment of the American family."--Frank Furstenberg, Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Behind the Academic Curtain: How to Find Success and Happiness with a Ph.D.

"I used Families in America text for my undergraduate course, Finances and Families, this semester here at UW Madison. The book was perfect for this interdisciplinary class, which was a mix of family demography, sociology, and household finance. I am a sociologist by training and wanted to bring in a sociological perspective of the family. We spent the first half of the class working through defining a family, discussing trends and changes in family processes, and understanding economic inequalities within and across families, using the book as a guide, before moving into topics on financial decision-making and negotiation within the family. Families in America provided a great foundation to the class, and the students found it very accessible. I plan to use it for next year's class as well."--Megan Doherty Bea, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Review Quotes

"Thorough first introduction to family sociology or a refresher on current trends in the U.S., as well as specific sections of courses on gender, race and ethnicity, or stratification."-- "Teaching Sociology"

About the Author

Susan L. Brown is Professor and Chair of Sociology and Co-Director of the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University.