The Caribbean is known more as a tropical paradise than as an area composed of diverse ethnic and political groups, the majority of whom live on the edge of poverty. This set of conceptual and empirical papers focuses on the diversity of ethnic groups in Caribbean families. The essays examine ethnic origins, social structures, family structures, and intellectual, social and clinical problems and their treatment. The issues noted in migration patterns are presented in some detail and there is a description and assessment of different family organizations and childrearing patterns. In documenting Caribbean culture, this volume aims to offer a source of information for broadening the knowledge base of social scientists interested in sociocultural family functioning.

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"Illuminating cultural study of single motherhood. . . . [Juffer] explores the experiences of single mothers across various social and economic conditions, taking a critical look at current social policy."
--"Library Journal"

"Juffer points to a new formation--the domestic intellectual--and in that gesture opens up the concept of the intellectual to a more complicated theoretical engagement. With it, she re-imagines marriage, mothering, and the spatial dynamics of private life, and returns them to a possibly radical and liberatory space. This powerful and transformative work adds to our understanding of the value of learning from ordinary life."
--Wahneema Lubiano, Duke University

Long perceived as the ultimate symbol of social breakdown and sexual irresponsibility, the single mother is now, in the context of welfare-to-work policies, often hailed as the new spokesperson for hard work and self-sufficiency. A dozen years after Dan Quayle denounced the television character Murphy Brown for making the decision to become a single mother "just another lifestyle choice," President George W. Bush applauded single mothers for "heroic work," and positive on-screen representations of single mothers abound, from "The Gilmore Girls" to "Sex and the City" to "American Idol,"

Single Mother describes the recent cultural valorization of this figure that--in the midst of demographic changes in the U.S.--has emerged as the unlikely heroic and seductive voice of the new American family. Drawing on her own life as a single mother, interviews with dozens of other single mothers, cultural representations, and policies on welfare, immigration, childcare, and child custody, Juffer analyzes this contingent acceptance of single mothers. Finally, critiquing the relentless emphasis on self-sufficiency to the exclusion of community, Juffer shows the remarkable organizing skills of these new mothers of invention. At a moment when one-third of all babies are born to single moms, Single Mother is a fascinating and necessary examination of these new "domestic intellectuals."

This contributed volume applies cliometric methods to the study of family and households in order to derive global patterns and determine their impact on economic development. Family and households are a fundamental feature of societies and economies. They are found throughout history and are the place where key decisions on fertility, labour force participation, education, consumption are made. This is especially relevant for the position of women. The book gathers key insights from a variety of fields - economics, history, demography, anthropology, biology - to shed light on the relation between family organisation and the long-term process of economic development.

Compares the parenting advice of five well-known experts. Most parents lack the time, training, and other resources needed to consult the extensive research on parenting that has been produced by scientific study. Instead, many rely on advice from a few well-known authorities in popular books, newspaper columns, and other media. This work takes a critical look at the advice of five experts - Benjamin Spock, T. Berry Brazelton, James Dobson, Penelope Leach and John Rosemond - then compares that with the findings of hundreds of empirical studies on children. The focus is on major parenting problems, including persistent infant crying, toilet training, early day care, discipline, adolescent sexuality education, substance abuse, and the influence of television and other electronic media. A final chapter summarizes the accuracy of each expert's advice compared with research findings, points out the common ground between experts, and summarizes their major strategies and biases. In some cases, a substantial gap exists between expert advice and scientific research findings. and students will find this book not only helpful, but also illuminating. Rankin's meticulous analysis points out areas of agreement and dispute between some of the most quoted parenting experts in the field, and, perhaps even more revealing, areas where their widely quoted pronouncements deviate from research and clinical evidence. Makes sense of often conflicting parenting experts and how their advice can clash with scientific research Offers parents an understanding of 'best practices' as identified by research. Explains the multitude of elements (other than research and practice) that shape the advice of experts Focuses on a critical analysis of the advice of five often conflicting, but very well known, authors on parenting.

"Patriarchy in East Asia" varies greatly according to the interplay between cultural norms, economic change, and government policies. This book provides an historical study and theoretical analysis of the transitions that have occurred in the status of women during the course of modernization and industrialization in five East Asian societies Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Taiwan, and China, the latter four societies presenting an ideal show-case of the effects of social regimes, captialist or socialist, on different ethnic cultures Korean and Chinese. This analysis is interwoven with a discussion of contemporary issues such as the persistence of tradition and gender discrimination, how gender roles undermine the development of healthier marriage and family relationships and better relations among the generations, the lack of full equality for women in employment, falling birthrates, and rising divorce rates. The book the first study of its kind undertaken by a sociologist who is also fluent in all of the local languages also describes the interplay between cultural norms, economic change, government policies, and ways of thinking among the subjects relating to social change.

This comprehensive book is a critical introduction to the theoretical and practical issues involved in working with children and families. It sheds light on different perspectives, forms of practice, and dimensions of policy, with a focus on the practical issues of concern to professionals working with children in a range of settings.

This comprehensive, instructive, and entertaining book is full of information and resources for middle-aged adults faced with the complexities of raising children while caring for elders. Multigenerational caregiving has become a prevalent phenomenon in the generation of Baby Boomers. Nurturing children as they rapidly evolve and grow as individuals while simultaneously assisting elderly parents to live with-and then exit life with-dignity and respect can be a trying experience. The good news: there can be great joy in this capacity as well. Strength for the Sandwich Generation: Help to Thrive While Simultaneously Caring for Our Kids and Our Aging Parents addresses the multiple complexities that arise for the millions of middle-aged adults caring for both their children and their elders, providing the caregiver with resources and information that include strategies for caring for the self, children, and elders; handling financial strain; and addressing moral and ethical dilemmas. A licensed clinical psychologist, author Kristine Bertini shows midlife readers how to balance their demanding and multiple roles while also making meaning and finding genuine happiness in their complex world. Utilizes instructive case examples to expose the intricacies of challenges like simultaneously caring for children and elders Contains a bibliography of more than 50 reference sources Provides an insightful "Creed for the Caregiver" Offers a model of daily routine with a workspace for the reader to design their own schedule

Beginning with the myth of origin that joins every young Zaramo woman to her origins as she is initiated into the secrets of life and womanhood, the book then provides us with an historical account of the Tanzanian coast around Dar es Salaam as a background to the persistence of the cultural institutions to which the reader is introduced. Statements and narrations by Salome as a representative of the modern educated Zaramo people intersperse the author's descriptions of the rituals of womanhood, of individual and social healing, and of the ways conflict is symbolically manipulated and managed. Rituals are seen in their vibrant role, not as remnants of tradition, but as means of handling encroaching external pressures on the community. These pressures include, commercialization of livelihood, development thrust in the form of villagization, or the ongoing process of losing land rights. The book shows that a people will counteract the threat of social disintegration by overemphasizing their core values in an attempt to create strong communication forces and instruments of power. A good introduction to contemporary African issues, Third World women's studies, and ethnographic anthropology.

What form does the dialogue about the family during the Nazi period take in the families of those persecuted by the Nazi regime and of Nazi perpertrators and accomplices? What impact does the past of the first generation, and their own way of dealing with it, have on the lives of their descendants? What are the structural differences between the dialogue about the Holocaust in families of perpetrators and those of the victims? This text examines these questions on the basis of selected case studies. It presents five families of survivors from Germany and Israel whose experiences of persecution and family histories after the liberation differ greatly. Two case studies of non-Jewish German families whose grandparents' generation are suspected of having perpretrated Nazi crimes illustrate the mechanisms operating in these families - those of passing the guilt on to the victims and creating the myth of being victims themselves - and give a sense of the psychological consequences these mechanisms have for the generations of their children and grandchildren.

This book offers a social movement perspective on family violence, framing the discovery of abuse toward women and men as a natural development flowing out of social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. It combines clinical and statistical methods to yield a sophisticated understanding of the dynamics underlying spousal violence. It examines both men's violence and the violence of their female partners, both psychological as well as physical. The problem of women's violence is one that has remained largely ignored compared to the mountain of research on men's violence toward women. The authors present the first in-depth examination of how, when, and why women instigate violence and why violent couples require a systems-level intervention program rather than simply trying to counter male violence. There is a strong consideration of factors that can work to reduce or eliminate the problem.

With dual-working households now the norm, Food, Families and Work is the first comprehensive study to explore how families negotiate everyday food practices in the context of paid employment. As the working hours of British parents are among the highest in Europe, the United Kingdom provides a key case study for investigating the relationship between parental employment and family food practices. Focusing on issues such as the gender division of foodwork, the impact of family income on diet, family meals, and the power children wield over the food they eat, the book offers a longitudinal view of family routines. It explores how the everyday meanings of food change as children grow older and negotiate changes in their own lives and those of their family members. Drawing on extensive quantitative data from large-scale surveys of food and diet - as well as qualitative evidence - to emphasise the larger global context of social and economic change and shifting patterns of family life, Rebecca O'Connell and Julia Brannen present a holistic overview of food practices within busy contemporary family lives. Featuring perspectives from both parents and children, this innovative approach to some of the most hotly-debated topics in food studies is a must-read for students and scholars in food studies, sociology, anthropology, nutrition and public health.

In Middle Eastern and Islamic societies, the politics of sexual knowledge is a delicate and often controversial subject. Sherry Sayed Gadelrab focuses on nineteenth and early-twentieth century Egypt, claiming that during this period there was a perceptible shift in the medical discourse surrounding conceptualisations of sex differences and the construction of sexuality. Medical authorities began to promote theories that suggested men's innate 'active' sexuality as opposed to women's more 'passive' characteristics, interpreting the differences in female and male bodies to correspond to this hierarchy. Through examining the interconnection of medical, legal, religious and moral discourses on sexual behaviour, Gadelrab highlights the association between sex, sexuality and the creation and recreation of the concept of gender at this crucial moment in the development of Egyptian society. By analysing the debates at the time surrounding science, medicine, morality, modernity and sexuality, she paints a nuanced picture of the Egyptian understanding and manipulation of the concepts of sex and gender.

This edited volume offers a critical, thorough, and interdisciplinary examination of arguments for eliminating the minimum democratic voting age. As children and youth increasingly assert their political voices on issues such as climate change, gun legislation, Black Lives Matter, and education reform, calls for youth enfranchisement merit further academic conversation. Leading scholars in childhood studies, political science, philosophy, history, law, medicine, and economics come together in this collection to explore the diverse assumptions behind excluding children from voting rights and why these are open to question. While arriving at different and sometimes competing conclusions, each chapter deconstructs the idea of voting as necessarily tied to age while reconstructing a more democratic imagination able to enfranchise the third of humanity made up by children and youth. Thus, this book defines and establishes a new field of academic study and public debate around children's suffrage. Chapter "The Reform that never happened: a history of children's suffrage restrictions" is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

"This text is a valuable new resource that we recommend for all of our professionals and are proud to incorporate as part of our AFC (R) certification program. With expertise representing the breadth and depth of the financial counseling profession, the content in this text provides you with a rigorous foundation of knowledge, considers critical theoretical models, and explores foundational skills of communication, self-awareness, and bias. This type of comprehensive approach aligns with our mission and vision-providing you with the foundational knowledge to meet clients where they are across the financial life-cycle and impact long-term financial capability." -Rebecca Wiggins, Executive Director, AFCPE (R) (Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (R)) This timely volume presents a comprehensive overview of financial counseling skills in accessible, practical detail for readers throughout the career span. Expert financial counselors, educators, and researchers refer to classic and current theories for up-to-date instruction on building long-term client competence, working with clients of diverse backgrounds, addressing problem financial behavior, and approaching sensitive topics. From these core components, readers have a choice of integrated frameworks for guiding clients in critical areas of financial decision-making. This essential work: * Offers an introduction to financial counseling as a practice and profession * Discusses the challenges of working in financial counseling * Explores the elements of the client/counselor relationship * Compares delivery systems and practice models * Features effective tools and resources used in financial counseling * Encourages counselor ethics, preparedness, and self-awareness A standout in professional development references, Financial Counseling equips students and new professionals to better understand this demanding field, and offers seasoned veterans a robust refresher course in current best practices.

No other reference provides such a comprehensive and timely overview of theory and research on family relationships, the contexts of family life, and major turning points in late-life families. It includes many suggestions for theoretical and practical applications for future research on a score of important topics. This multidisciplinary survey is an invaluable library reference and teaching resource intended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, and practitioners -- for gerontologists, family scholars, psychologists, sociologists, historians, social workers, health-care providers, and policy makers.

When Verschuur-Basse, a French sociologist specializing in the family, was invited by the Academy of Social Sciences to Beijing in 1985, she interviewed women from three generations and a variety of professions about their lives as women, wives, mothers, and daughters-in-law. Over a five-year period she conducted in-depth, non-directed interviews with educated women who were able to analyze and interpret their lives in the context of important formative factors such as the Cultural Revolution, the one-child policy, and other social reforms. The difference between urban and rural expectations from women is particularly apparent in the life stories of the 13 women included in this book. The women voice common concerns as wives and mothers who work outside the home and comment on the prevalence of abortion and preference for male children, the increase in divorce rates, and the place of women as decision-makers in the family. Originally published in French as "Paroles de Femmes Chinoises: La Famille Autrement" (Harmattan, 1993), the study received critical acclaim from academy and media as a revealing portrayal of social reality in China.

Through a comprehensive selection of classic and contemporary interdisciplinary readings, Perspectives on the Caribbean: A Reader in Culture, History and Representation presents a variety of viewpoints to further our understanding of life and culture in the Caribbean: * Highlights the major concepts and debates in the anthropology and history of the Caribbean, including its unique Anglo, French, and Hispanic communities* Provides multidisciplinary perspectives on Caribbean society that show the connections between its vibrant cultural forms, political economy, and tumultuous history* Features section introductions that put readings in context, with lists of additional suggested readings for further study* Offers an overview of the strong traditions of art, literature, music, dance, and architecture in the Caribbean* Outlines the key research in Caribbean studies from history, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and folklore, examining classic ethnographies as well as new scholarship

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"Readers unfamiliar with the burgeoning literature on the neglected importance of fatherhood will find this study a helpful beginning point."
--"CHOICE"

"A more nuanced and embedded analysis of men's experiences of procreation than we have ever had. One can no longer speak of fatherhood as separate from the decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and reproduction."
--Michael Kimmel, State University of New York, Stony Brook.

Over the past 15 years much pioneering work has been done on the social demography of young men's sexual activities, contraceptive use, and fertility experiences. But how do men develop and manage their identities in these areas?

In Sex, Men, and Babies, William Marsiglio and Sally Hutchinson provide a compelling and insightful portrait of young men who are capable of anticipating, creating, and fathering human life. Based on in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of 70 single men aged 16-30, this is the most comprehensive, qualitative study of its kind. Through intimate stories and self-reflections, these men talk about sex, romance, relationships, birth control, pregnancies, miscarriages, abortions, visions of fathering, and other issues related to men's self-awareness, and the many ways they construct, explain, and change their identities as potential fathers. The interviews also provide valuable insights about how young men experience responsiblities associated with sex and the full range of procreative events.

Accessibly written for a wide audience and raising a host of issues relevant to debates about unplanned pregnancy, childbearing among teens and young adults, and women's andchildren's well-being, Sex, Men, and Babies is the fullest account available today on how young men conceptualize themselves as procreative beings. Lessons from this study can inform interventions designed to encourage young men to be more aware of their abilities and responsiblities in making babies.

No matter how old we are, or how far from home, our family remains with us - we share their looks and gestures, social values and concept of "home". Yet we often fail to connect with family members, and in remarkable ways our early experiences with family are repeated with marriage partners and children. In this revelatory book, esteemed family therapist Monica McGoldrick explores why families behave as they do, using genograms (family trees) to illustrate family patterns. Mapped out over a three-generation span, repeated estrangements, alliances, even divorces and suicides prove more than coincidental. McGoldrick uses the genograms of famous families - including the Kennedys, Hepburns, Beethovens, Brontes, and the family of the Marx Brothers - to discuss the influence of birth order and sibling rivalry, family myths and secrets, cultural differences, couple relationships, and the pivotal role of loss. Relevant questions we can ask ourselves appear at the end of each chapter, helping the reader to become researcher, uncovering information previously withheld, misunderstood, or overlooked. There is a saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are recommended to repeat it". The message here is positive: once we reconnect with the past, McGoldrick tells us, we can choose our futures.

Based on the 2005 Oxford Clarendon Lectures in Law, this book deals with the remarkable change in society's attitude to homosexuality over the last half century. Until 1967 homosexual acts were punished by the criminal law and as recently as 1988 Parliament forbade teachers from suggesting that homosexuality was an acceptable family relationship. In 2005 Parliament passed the Civil Partnership Act, which creates a framework in which same-sex couples can have their relationship legally recognised in much the same way as marriage. This book looks at the essentials of the civil partnerships contruct, and asks whether it is really creating an institution of 'gay marriage'? If not, the next question to ask is whether civil partnership can satisfy the demands for equality increasingly being made by the gay community? In the United States, the courts have taken an active and progressive stance, holding that to deny marriage to same sex couples and leave them with mere partnership is to create a 'separate but equal' situation historically associated with the racial discrimination now universally recognised as unconstitutional and morally unjustifiable. However, the political climate has risen to a fever pitch with the current administration's push for constitutional amendment to ban outright gay marriage. In the UK the courts have been less activist, but the potential creation of a Supreme Court raises important questions about the boundaries between the roles of judiciary, the legislature, and government; and whether the judiciary should play a more constitutionally active role than has thus far been traditional?