This book brings together key authors from the Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland) to discuss theoretical and empirical research on families and children. Sharing the Nordic perspective from each of the five countries, the book highlights key ideas within and across the countries. The chapters provide an understanding of the history of the Nordic perspectives of family and children, present current innovative research on solutions to complex issues, and explore contemporary issues. Nordic countries continually attain high scores in lifestyle measures, quality of life and children's outcomes. Much of this has to do with the specific culture and policy of the Nordic countries. Written by academics within the region who are well regarded for contributing to academic and public debate, this book will appeal to an international audience interested in the Nordic perspective and social policy around family and children.

"The study of kinship remains a lively concern among historians, sociologists, and anthropologists. One of the very attractive features of the volume is its crossdisciplinary representation from these fields but also from literature... and] the mix of senior and junior scholars." . Mary Lindemann, University of Miami

"The essays are of uniform excellence and interest, written by established scholars, including very well known scholars; the essays also make a remarkably coherent set... and] are well focused...the research is valuable, offering original perspectives on a number of issues, from kinship reckoning to industrialization, to emotional history. This is a very useful, and widely cited companion to the previous volume on kinship in Europe, a great introduction to the current research." . William Reddy, Duke University

Recently considerable interest has developed about the degree to which anthropological approaches to kinship can be used for the study of the long-term development of European history. From the late middle ages to the dawn of the twentieth century, kinship - rather than declining, as is often assumed - was twice reconfigured in dramatic ways and became increasingly significant as a force in historical change, with remarkable similarities across European society. Applying interdisciplinary approaches from social and cultural history and literature and focusing on sibling relationships, this volume takes up the challenge of examining the systemic and structural development of kinship over the long term by looking at the close inner-familial dynamics of ruling families (the Hohenzollerns), cultural leaders (the Mendelssohns), business and professional classes, and political figures (the Gladstones)in France, Italy, Germany, and England. It offers insight into the current issues in kinship studies and draws from a wide range of personal documents: letters, autobiographies, testaments, memoirs, as well as genealogies and works of art."

This insightful and accessible volume explores the often overlooked area of men's grief, and explains how men can better cope with feelings of loss."When Men Grieve" features eleven real-life stories of personal tragedy and uses them to show men how they can learn to communicate their feelings, move beyond denial, avoid falling into addictive patterns of behaviour, and overcome feelings of anger, bitterness, or helplessness.It also offers thorough and practical advice for women on how to respond - rather that react - to the behaviour men display when grieving.

While marriage has lost its popularity in many developed countries and is no longer an obligatory path to family formation, it has gained momentum among binational couples as states reinforce their control over human migration. Focusing on the case of Southeast Asian women who have been epitomized on the global marriage market as 'ideal' brides and wives, this volume examines these women's experiences of international marriage, migration, and states' governmentality. Drawing from ethnographic research and policy analyses, this book sheds light on the way many countries in Southeast Asia and beyond have redefined marriage and national belonging through their regime of 'marital citizenship' (that is, a legal status granted by a state to a migrant by virtue of his/her marriage to one of its citizens). These regimes influence the familial and social incorporation of Southeast Asian migrant women, notably their access to socio-political and civic rights in their receiving countries. The case studies analysed in this volume highlight these women's subjectivity and agency as they embrace, resist, and navigate the intricate legal and socio-cultural frameworks of citizenship. As such, it will appeal to sociologists, geographers, socio-legal scholars, and anthropologists with interests in migration, family formation, intimate relations, and gender.

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

Motherhood remains a complex and contested issue in feminist research as well as public discussion. This interdisciplinary volume explores cultural representations of motherhood in various contemporary European contexts, including France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and the UK, and it considers how such representations affect the ways in which different individuals and groups negotiate motherhood as both institution and lived experience. It has a particular focus on literature, but it also includes essays that examine representations of motherhood in philosophy, art, social policy, and film. The book's driving contention is that, through intersecting with other fields and disciplines, literature and the study of literature have an important role to play in nuancing dialogues around motherhood, by offering challenging insights and imaginative responses to complex problems and experiences. This is demonstrated throughout the volume, which covers a range of topics including: discursive and visual depictions of pregnancy and birth; the impact of new reproductive technologies on changing family configurations; the relationship between mothering and citizenship; the shaping of policy imperatives regarding mothering and disability; and the difficult realities of miscarriage, child death, violence, and infanticide. The collection expands and complicates hegemonic notions of motherhood, as the authors map and analyse shifting conceptions of maternal subjectivity and embodiment, explore some of the constraining and/or enabling contexts in which mothering takes place, and ask searching questions about what it means to be a 'mother' in Europe today. It will be of interest not only to those working in gender, women's and feminist studies, but also to scholars in literary and cultural studies, and those researching in sociology, criminology, politics, psychology, medical ethics, midwifery, and related fields.

This book makes use of interesting case studies and photographs to describe everyday life in a squatter settlement in Delhi. The book helps to understand the marital experiences of these people most of whom belong to the Scheduled Caste and live in one identified geographical space. The author describes the shifts within their marriages, remarriages and other kinds of unions and their striking diversities, which have been described with care. Shalini Grover also examines the close ties of married women with their mothers and natal families. An important contribution of the book lies in the unfolding of the role of women-led informal courts, Mahila Panchayats and their influence in conflict resolution. This takes place in a distinctly different mode of community-based arbitration against the backdrop of mainstream legal structures and male-dominated caste associations. The book will be of interest to students of sociology and social anthropology, gender studies, development studies, law and psychology. Activists and family counsellors will also find the book useful.

The border region of the United States and Mexico is one of the most volatile settings for infectious disease transmission and other health problems due to fluid population movement, widely diverse sociocultural and economic demographics, and a rapidly expanding population. Written and edited by public health researchers, U.S.-Mexico Border Health offers a broad range of studies involving health care and health promotion on the United States-Mexico border. Section I examines how the cultural values of the border population influence their responses to health messages to participate in health programs. In Section II, the complexity of the health issues faced by the border region are explored through discussions of public health programs addressing tobacco and alcohol advertising, cross-border attempts to control tuberculosis, community mobilization to prevent the spread of HIV, and programs to promote contraception. Section III presents three models of health promotion that have been adopted in the border context, while Section IV focuses on the centrality of community in health promotion efforts on the border. The book concludes with a review of health care issues involving migrant and seasonal farm workers. As a course reader or a general update on border health issues and health promotion efforts, U.S.-Mexico Border Health is intended to provoke discussion and further research concerning health care in this important region.

The collection of chapters in the "Handbook of Population and Family Economics" and their organization reflect the most recent developments in economics pertaining to population issues and the family. The rationale, contents, and organization of the "Handbook" evolve from three premises. First, the family is the main arena in which population outcomes are forged. Second, there are important interactions and significant causal links across all demographic phenomena. Third, the study of the size, composition, and growth of a population can benefit from the application of economic methodology and tools. The diversity and depth of the work reviewed and presented in the "Handbook" conveys both the progress that has been made by economists in understanding the forces shaping population processes, including the behavior of families, and the many questions, empirical and theoretical, that still remain. For more information on the Handbooks in Economics series, please see our home page on http: //www.elsevier.nl/locate/hes

The role of the father in a family and for his children has varied greatly throughout history. However, scientific research into fatherhood began relatively late at the end of the 1960s and early 1970s, with a strong focus on the impact of the father on child development. This book focuses on the role of the father in the contemporary two-parent heterosexual family. Of eight longitudinal studies from several Western countries, six focus on the socialization outcomes of the children, and two concentrate on parental satisfaction. Although the father is in focus, family dynamics cannot be conclusively described without a look at the mother and parental interaction. Therefore, all of the studies examine mothers and their role in the family system. Thus, the book gives a contemporary insight into the father and his role in changing family dynamics. This book was originally published as a special issue of the European Journal of Developmental Psychology.

This title was first published in 2001: Using detailed international research, this volume explores the background, current position and key features of minority communities living within multi cultural societies. Focusing particularly upon family life, the contributors investigate minorities ranging from the Old Order Mennonites and Cree and Ojibway Aboriginals in Canada, to conservative Christians in the USA, Afrikaners in South Africa and Pakistanis in the UK. The chapters demonstrate that while each of these communities is distinctive in terms of history, culture, religion and family behaviour, they all share an ability to retain and nourish their separate identity. The book thus provides fascinating insights into the lives of minority families and draws important conclusions surrounding the ways in which they keep themselves separate from, while still participating in, society as a whole.

Work, Family and Childcare studies the joint decisions made by parents regarding the time they allocate to paid employment and childcare. Extensive cross-national data is analysed from three countries that represent the diversity of European households: Belgium, Denmark and Spain. The book compares and contrasts the results and draws out important implications for European social policy. Among Belgian and Danish couples, the author identifies a variety of ways in which the responsibility of childcare is handled. In certain cases both partners will invest considerable time and effort in looking after the child, whereas in other couples one parent will compensate for their partner's lack of time. He also demonstrates that childcare considerations dominate parental decision-making. This is evident not only in a country such as Spain which lacks childcare facilities, but also in Denmark which, relatively speaking, provides an abundance of childcare services. Importantly, the author finds that joint preferences tend to result in either work-centred or care-centred couples, which poses new challenges for policymakers. He argues that future policy initiatives regarding the relationship between 'work and care' should focus on parental diversity and help parents to balance care responsibilities and employment according to their preferences This superb new book combines econometric analysis and social policy insights to address an issue of increasing importance to a growing number of people. It will appeal to a broad international audience including economists, sociologists and social policy researchers. It will also be of value to students on a range of courses concerned with family or household economics.

Do you ever feel that someone's gestures are telling you something different than the words they are saying? Has a cashier asked you how you are without glancing up from the items he or she is scanning? Have you ever felt that the firmness of your words is undermined by your feeble body language? Although spoken and written language may seem like our primary methods of communicating with one another, body language plays a strikingly prominent role, making up more than 90 percent of communication.

In the first English translation of Philippe Turchet's "The Secrets of Body Language," readers can discover all the ways they have been inadvertently communicating negative, positive, neutral, or mixed messages with the simple body movements they habitually make without even thinking about it. Turchet makes us aware of the true importance of body language in all contexts, relationships, and encounters, and explains how body language embedded in our genetic makeup has the remarkable ability to transcend the language barriers and communicate universal meaning. In this enlightening book, find out what your own body language is telling other people, how you can read the signs of others' bodies, and how to most effectively utilize your own body movements to "say" what you really mean.

Much has been written about the events surrounding the 2003 Anglo-American invasion of Iraq and its aftermath, especially about the intentions, principles, plans and course of action of US policy, but much less attention has been given to the consequences of US policy on Iraqi political and social development. This book provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of US policy on the social and political development of Iraq in the twenty-first century. It shows how not just the institutions of the state were destroyed in 2003, leaving the way open for sectarianism, but also the country's cultural integrity, political coherence, and national-oriented economy. It outlines how Iraq has been economically impoverished, assessing the appalling situation which ordinary people, including women and children, have endured, not just as a result of the 2003 war, but also as a consequence of the 1991 war and the sanctions imposed in the following years. The book argues that the social, political, and cultural ruin that accompanied the Iraq war was an absolute catastrophe; that the policies which had such adverse effects were the foreseeable consequences of deliberate policy choices; and that those responsible continue to evade being made accountable.

This volume provides readers with recent sociological approaches to family understanding, theorising and practices within the context of continuities and change, both across generations and during individual life courses. The contributors uniquely investigate the friction between persisting family needs and changing circumstances, between holding on to traditional family norms and adapting to fast-changing demands. Authors from nine countries develop and apply innovative theoretical and methodological approaches for a more differentiated description of European family lives at the beginning of the 21st century, and show that family sociology has achieved significant commonalities across national borders in Europe, thus helping our understanding of complex family realities. The book will be essential reading for students and scholars with an interest in family and intimate life, family sociology and policy, sociology and gender studies.

This book explores how the relationship between child and parent develops in Japan, from the earliest point in a child's life, through the transition from family to the wider world, first to playschools and then schools. It shows how touch and physical contact are important for engendering intimacy and feeling, and how intimacy and feeling continue even when physical contact lessens. It relates the position in Japan to theoretical writing, in both Japan and the West, on body, mind, intimacy and feeling, and compares the position in Japan to practices elsewhere. Overall, the book makes a significant contribution to the study of and theories on body practices, and to debates on the processes of socialisation in Japan.

This book presents an accessible and sometimes controversial economic exploration of numerous issues surrounding sex, marriage and family. It analyses the role of 'vanity', defined as social status and self-esteem, in social and economic behaviors.In Veblen's theory of conspicuous consumption, vanity is associated with the consumption of luxuries such as expensive handbags and cars. In this book, C. Simon Fan provocatively argues that vanity is obtained by having a spouse and children with perceived 'high-quality' values, for example, a beautiful wife, a tall husband or intelligent offspring. He demonstrates from various perspectives that vanity plays a crucial role in male-female relationships and intergenerational relationships. In doing so, he challenges the conventional frontier of economics and contributes to other social sciences. This unique book will appeal to the educated general reader and interested academic alike. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Vanity Economics: A Survey and an Extension 3. Vanity and the Consumption of Material Goods/Services 4. Marriage Markets 5. Vanity in Romance and Marriage 6. Vanity and Virginity 7. Sexual Liberation 8. Prostitution and Commercial Sex 9. Extramarital Affairs 10. Homosexuality 11. Classical Population Theory 12. Gary Becker, Vanity Economics and Modern Population Theory 13. The Cost of Children in Population Theory 14. Child Labour, 'Working Daughters' and Population Theory 15. Old-Age Support, Family Protection and Population Theory 16. Gender Bias, Gender Gaps and Population Theory 19. A 'Population Problem': Theory and Policy 20. Vanity and Divorce 21. Development and Divorce 22. Family Background and Children's Education 23. Parental Behaviours and the Quality of Children 24. Intergenerational Transfers of Wealth 25. Family, Vanity and Consumption Puzzles 26. Vanity and Social Interactions 27. Vanity, Family and Migration 28. Epilogue Index

First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Based on a sweeping, ten country study, The Work-Family Interface in Global Context comprises the most comprehensive and rigorous cross-cultural study of the work-family interface to date. Just as work-family conflict is associated with negative consequences for workers, organizations, and societies, so too can the work and family domains interact positively to enhance or enrich one another. Drawing on qualitative, quantitative, and policy-based data, chapters in this collection explore the influence of culture on the work-family interface in order to help researchers and managers understand the applicability of work-family models in a variety of contexts and further conceptualize work-family interactions through the development of a more universal knowledge. Members of the Project 3535 Team: Karen Korabik, University of Guelph, Canada. Zeynep Aycan, Koc University, Turkey. Roya Ayman, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA. Artiawati, University of Surabaya, Indonesia. Anne Bardoel, Monash University, Australia. Anat Drach-Zahavy, University of Haifa, Israel. Leslie B. Hammer, Portland State University, USA. Ting-Pang Huang, Soochow University, Taiwan. Donna S. Lero, University of Guelph, Canada. Tripti Pande-Desai, New Delhi Institute of Management, India. Steven Poelmans, EADA Business School, Spain. Ujvala Rajadhyaksha, Governors State University, USA. Anit Somech, University of Haifa, Israel. Li Zhang, Harbin Institute of Technology, China.

Based on a sweeping, ten country study, The Work-Family Interface in Global Context comprises the most comprehensive and rigorous cross-cultural study of the work-family interface to date. Just as work-family conflict is associated with negative consequences for workers, organizations, and societies, so too can the work and family domains interact positively to enhance or enrich one another. Drawing on qualitative, quantitative, and policy-based data, chapters in this collection explore the influence of culture on the work-family interface in order to help researchers and managers understand the applicability of work-family models in a variety of contexts and further conceptualize work-family interactions through the development of a more universal knowledge. Members of the Project 3535 Team: Karen Korabik, University of Guelph, Canada. Zeynep Aycan, Koc University, Turkey. Roya Ayman, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA. Artiawati, University of Surabaya, Indonesia. Anne Bardoel, Monash University, Australia. Anat Drach-Zahavy, University of Haifa, Israel. Leslie B. Hammer, Portland State University, USA. Ting-Pang Huang, Soochow University, Taiwan. Donna S. Lero, University of Guelph, Canada. Tripti Pande-Desai, New Delhi Institute of Management, India. Steven Poelmans, EADA Business School, Spain. Ujvala Rajadhyaksha, Governors State University, USA. Anit Somech, University of Haifa, Israel. Li Zhang, Harbin Institute of Technology, China.

This book explores the topic of family obligations following changes in family structure caused by divorce and remarriage. Family obligations are commonly defined as the rights and duties that accompany family roles. They have been described as the "glue" that connects generations, as well as the "oughts" and "shoulds" that surround individual family relationships. This book is primarily concerned with normative beliefs about what family members should do for each other. It differs from previous accounts of family obligation norms because it specifically focuses on family responsibilities after divorce and remarriage, two events that affect an increasing number of families today.
The authors draw extensively upon the findings of 13 studies of normative beliefs regarding post-divorce intergenerational family obligations. This book fills a gap in the present literature concerning family obligation. It addresses the weaknesses of prior research by focusing on family transitions and by presenting data from studies that employ contextual methods. The content will provide guidance to policymakers and helping professionals who work with families, and the unique focus and procedures of the studies are likely to set the standard for future assessments of normative beliefs about family obligations.

Immigration, Motherhood and Parental Involvement is based on the vivid accounts of seven Latina immigrant women of how they learned to navigate the school system in the rural southwest of the United States. Their stories are presented within several contexts, the socio-political conditions of immigration overarching them all. The process of acquiring a new socio-cultural script offers a common frame to the narratives, which illustrate the central role of the community in finding spaces for agency in circumstances of vulnerability. As a contribution to educational theory, this book explores the official discourse of parental involvement within the broader context of social policy by pointing to a common underlying ideal parent norm across areas of policy related to family and women. It also revisits the concept of parental involvement through contrasting ideologies of motherhood, as it applies the concept of participation parity in everyday institutional interactions as a fundamental measure of social justice. Immigration, Motherhood and Parental Involvement offers deep insight into the institutionalized patterns of formal inclusion/informal exclusion in the relationship of schools with Latina immigrant mothers, even within the best intended programs. Its focus on the persistent need for the implementation of culturally and linguistically sensitive approaches to home-school relations makes this a must-read for undergraduate and graduate courses in teacher education, education leadership and sociology of education. Teachers, administrators and policymakers committed to moving away from the prevalent view of mothers as people who mainly need to be educated also need to read this book.

Reader's comments: `Then along comes your book - lands on my desk like a gift, which I have barely put down since. It stopped me searching for external answers, helped me to dig into the knowledge, philosophy and way of working which already existed in me. I draw on it all the time for inspiration and a way of grounding me in the tentative moments of working towards a delicate connection with the families I encounter. I have a lot to be thankful to you for - I have now developed a way of working which seems helpful and which enables those around me to find a way forward, but perhaps most of all I finally feel comfortable and free to be the same counsellor I am with individuals - Hurrah!' - Kim Barber, Counsellor Lecturers' comments: 'A fascinating book which combines couple counselling with person-centred counselling. Will be recommended reading for social work students working with couple relationships' 'Very readible. Useful for students of counselling beyomd the 'title' focus of couples and families' `The only book on couple and family counselling from the person-centred approach' `This book is unique in its articulation of family therapy and the person-centred approach. It is also engaging in the way couples and the families come to life through Charlie O'Leary's acute and sensitive observation. It is an essential text in any person-centred therapy library'- Dave Mearns, University of Strathclyde `Compelling reading... I liked this book. It is intelligent, thought-provoking, occasionally funny and a delight to read. I warmed to the author's passion for the work of Carl Rogers.... All Relate counsellors will find something of value - even the strict psychodynamic practitioners' - Relate News `The author deserves congratulations on his easy, readable style. This will ensure that the book will be read, rather than simply browsed by many' - Sexual and Relationship Therapy `Provides a very good introduction for counsellors in working with families.' - British Journal of Guidance & Counselling `In this highly readable text, the theory and practice of counselling couples and families are successfully integrated with principles from the Rogerian/person-centred approach. In this sense the book is unique: although a lot of counsellors in fact practice relational therapy from a person-centred perspective, until now, no basic text was available in this field' - Alfons Vansteenwegen, INTAMS Review In this unique book, the theory and practice of counselling couples and families are integrated with principles from the person-centred approach. With numerous examples from actual sessions, the book clearly illustrates the key issues that couples and families face, and the ways in which the counsellor can help them to resolve these to their own satisfaction. Written primarily from the viewpoint of working with couples and families, issues specific to relational counselling are contrasted to those that arise when counselling individuals or non-related groups. The author then explores the process of relational counselling using the person-centred principles of empathy, congruence, unconditional positive regard and non-interference with the clients' actualizing tendency.

Immigration, Motherhood and Parental Involvement is based on the vivid accounts of seven Latina immigrant women of how they learned to navigate the school system in the rural southwest of the United States. Their stories are presented within several contexts, the socio-political conditions of immigration overarching them all. The process of acquiring a new socio-cultural script offers a common frame to the narratives, which illustrate the central role of the community in finding spaces for agency in circumstances of vulnerability. As a contribution to educational theory, this book explores the official discourse of parental involvement within the broader context of social policy by pointing to a common underlying ideal parent norm across areas of policy related to family and women. It also revisits the concept of parental involvement through contrasting ideologies of motherhood, as it applies the concept of participation parity in everyday institutional interactions as a fundamental measure of social justice. Immigration, Motherhood and Parental Involvement offers deep insight into the institutionalized patterns of formal inclusion/informal exclusion in the relationship of schools with Latina immigrant mothers, even within the best intended programs. Its focus on the persistent need for the implementation of culturally and linguistically sensitive approaches to home-school relations makes this a must-read for undergraduate and graduate courses in teacher education, education leadership and sociology of education. Teachers, administrators and policymakers committed to moving away from the prevalent view of mothers as people who mainly need to be educated also need to read this book.

What does pregnancy mean when it does not lead to the birth of a child? Through personal experience via graphic novel and with a corresponding philosophical analysis, The Pregnancy Childbearing Project narrates and assesses the alternative values possible in miscarriage, a.k.a., the failed pregnancy. Having shared in both experiences - miscarriage and childbirth - solidarity among women must be possible. All pregnancies lead to a kind of 'emptying out' - a loss - whether wanted or unwanted, with or without a child. Often, after miscarriage, people say, 'just try again.' What then for the work of grief? How do you get over what you cannot get over? The kind of loss in the experience of miscarriage is not socially or culturally recognized as a kind of death. The Pregnancy Childbearing Project seeks solidarity among women who have known pregnancy independent of the politics and rhetoric of pro-life discourse, and in doing so, holds the pro-life agenda accountable for the silencing of women, arguing that alienates them from each other and their own experiences.