Synopsis
This work makes a significant contribution to the literature on family process, structure, and well-being. It is a much-needed comparative analysis across marital status (married, divorced, remarried, and never-married women with children). Early chapters are particularly useful for introducing beginning students to the theoretical, conceptual, and policy issues at stake. Clear prose and well-labeled tables make the substantive chapters accessible to students but sacrifice none of the rigor of the analysis. This book provides a thorough review of the literature and systematically addresses a set of questions that are theoretically and politically significant, particularly in light of the continuing concern over the `demise′ of the American family. It should enjoy a wide readership in family studies, social work, sociology, and psychology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. --Choice "The authors present the results of their comprehensive and sophisticated data analysis in a very readable style, accompanied by generous use of graphics and practical examples. The findings are presented in such a way that readers with less technical backgrounds can easily comprehend the study results. This book will serve as an excellent supplementary text in both undergraduate and graduate classes. Also, it will be a valuable resource for family life educators and researchers interested in pursuing these questions related to family structure." --Journal of Marriage and the Family How important is traditional family structure to the success of family relationships? With political rhetoric often substituting for credible information, leading family researchers Alan Acock and David Demo separate fact from fiction regarding this crucial policy concern. Based on the authoritative National Survey of Families and Households, the authors′ work examines the four most common family types: two-parent families, divorced mothers with children, remarried families, and unwed mothers. Their meticulous analysis of the source material reveals myriad patterns, problems, and solutions not previously discerned, while addressing many familiar issues and assumptions with depth and clarity. Combining sophisticated explications, ample graphics, and practical examples, this volume has a great deal to offer professionals and researchers in family studies, sociology, psychology, interpersonal relationships, and gender studies at all levels.
About the Authors
Alan Acock (Ph.D., Washington State University) is Professor and former Chair of Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University. He has also taught at Louisiana State University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Southern California. Alan has published 4 books, 20 book chapters, and 120 articles. He is a Fellow of the National Council on Family Relations, a winner of the Reuben Hill Award, several awards for teaching, and his book on Family Diversity and Well-Being received the 1995 Choice Award for Outstanding Academic Book. Alan has held elected offices in the American Sociological Association and the National Council on Family Relations. His substantive research has been on the effects of family structure on the well-being of family members and on intergenerational relations. He is currently investigating the effects of fathers returning to families after incarceration. He has served on editorial boards of several substantive journals including the Journal of Marriage and Family. His methodological research has focused on structural equation modeling and missing values. He is currently writing a book on Stata. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Structural Equation Modeling.
David H. Demo is Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His research focuses on divorce and family transitions, changes in family relationships accompanying divorce, and the consequences of family transitions for family members’ well-being. He has published widely in professional journals and he has authored or co-authored numerous chapters in edited volumes. He has also authored or edited several books, including Handbook of family diversity (with Katherine R. Allen and Mark A. Fine); Parents and adolescents in changing families (with Anne Marie Ambert); and Family diversity and well-being (with Alan C. Acock), which received the Choice Magazine Outstanding Book Award. He has served on the editorial boards of several journals, and in 2007, he began a term as Editor of Journal of Marriage and Family. He is a Fellow of the National Council on Family Relations.
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