Summary
Contents
Subject index
Families are at the core of our society. Our experience of them affects many aspects of our everyday lives shaping our expectations and future plans.
Written by field experts this clear, engaging book adopts a global perspective to usefully examine how modern families can be explored and understood. Packed with critical pedagogy, including case-studies, think points, key words and a glossary, it guides students through topics such as relationships, sexualities and paid and unpaid work.
The book also:
Applies key social theories from classical sociological theory and contemporary analysis; Examines best practice for researching families and family life; Explores the role of government policies and practices
This comprehensive introduction to the study of families and relationships is a timely resource for students and lecturers working across the social sciences.
Explaining Families
Explaining Families
- Introduction
Sociological Explanations: Premise and Origins
- Ideology and Theory: What is this Thing ‘the Family’?
- Sociological Theory
Ties that Bind: Making Sense of Structures
- Families as a Framework: Parsons
- Socialization: Merton
Actors and Actions: Theories of Interaction
- Interactions: Goffman
- Structures and Practices: Giddens and Wallace
Theories of Conflict
- The ‘Lifeworld’ of Families: Habermas
Women, Men, Gender: Feminist Perspectives
- Feminist and Gender: Perspectives on Families
- Global Dimensions
- Contemporary Voices on Intimacy
- Summary
- Explore Further
Keywords: ideology, theory, structures, interaction, conflict, ‘doing family’, feminism, queer theory, intimacy, individualization
Introduction
In this chapter we explore the ways in which sociologists have explained ...
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