Understanding the Family

By: John Muncie (Editor), Margaret Wetherell (Editor), Mary Langan (Editor), Rudi Dallos (Editor), Allan Douglas Cochrane (Editor)

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Paperback | 5 August 1999 | Edition Number 2

At a Glance

Paperback
336 Pages

Edition Type
Revised

Dimensions(cm)
24.41 x 16.99 x 1.78

Paperback

$132.75

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`Provide[s] a good overview of current family theory and research.... well written and worth having' - British Journal of Medical Psychology

`Altogether an excellent collection for students of social policy, social care or social work, covering as it does both subjective and objective features of family life and the logics of inequality within which they are embedded' - Child and Family Social Work

This revised and updated introductory text presents an accessible, interdisciplinary account of how 'the family' is constituted in the 'public' and 'private' spheres.

Drawing in a wide range of theoretical perspectives from sociology, social policy, psychology and psychoanalysis, this book critically examines assumptions about 'the family' that are embedded in social policy, law and political discourse. The text outlines the tensions that exist between such assumptions and the lived realities and everyday experiences of family life. Understanding the Family shows how dominant understanding of the family have failed to recognize a marked diversity of family forms in contemporary society, and also ignore the complex and myriad ways in which family life comes to be experienced.

Industry Reviews

REVIEWS OF THE FIRST EDITION `Provide[s] a good overview of current family theory and research.... well written and worth having' - British Journal of Medical Psychology `Altogether an excellent collection for students of social policy, social care or social work, covering as it does both subjective and objective features of family life and the logics of inequality within which they are embedded' - Child and Family Social Work `The book provides an overview of major belief systems about the family, which are intelligently summarized, often with the use of thoughtfully selected excerpts from major source material. The final endnote, by Roger Sapsford, is particularly insightful as he identifies the problems that arise from trying to confine the family within the private sphere and neatly separating the private from the public aspects of family. Overall, this book is a constructive and comprehensive guide to understanding the family' - Population and Development Review

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