The Psychosocial Interior of the Family

Drawing upon findings from many disciplines including sociology, communication, family studies, human development, psychology and anthropology-this book provides the first composite study of the whole family and of the complex interplay between self and collectivity in family life. It departs sharply from the traditional two-person, cause-effect models used in conventional studies, and attempts to delineate a social psychology of the family.

This book undertakes to define and understand the nature of families, to point out ways of discerning different family characters, and to comprehend the processes by which these characters are established and maintained; by so doing, it introduces a new dimension into the study of family behavior and provides a framework within which meaningful investigations and practical applications can be pursued.

This long-awaited fourth edition continues the goal of preceding editions: to understand families in terms of the kinds of interaction through which family life is constructed. Contributors drawn from a wide variety of disciplines sociology; communication; family studies; human development; psychology; anthropology; and social work - provide a range of authoritative and up-to-date sources on the family and interpersonal relations, including newly emergent forms of family organization. In providing a new framework for fruitful investigation and practical application, this volume contains the best available interdisciplinary work on the social psychology of the family.

Gerald Handel received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, where he served on the Committee on Human Development. He has written many books such as Making a Life in Yorkville, Childhood Socialization, and The Psychosocial Interior of the Family all available from Transaction. He has also written many articles on the family. He is currently professor emeritus at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Gail G. Whitchurch is associate professor of Communication Studies, adjunct associate professor of Sociology, and adjunct associate professor of International Studies at Indiana University- Bloomington. She is the author of many articles in research and practice journals. She was also co-founder and past chair of the Family Communication Division of the National Communication Association.