Structure of the Family: A Global View
Forms of the Family
Forms of Marriage
Patterns of Courtship

Marriage and the Family in the United States
Life within Marriage
Parenthood
Two-Income Families
Beyond the Traditional Nuclear Family

Challenges for American Families and American Society
Family Violence, Child Abuse, and Incest
Child Care
Divorce
Care for the Elderly

Sociological Perspectives on the Family
The Functionalist Perspective
The Conflict Perspective
The Interactionist Perspective
Box 10.1 Sociology around the World: A Wide Variety in Family Values
Box 10.2 Social Inequalities: Family Backgrounds and Unequal Childhoods
Box 10.3 Doing Social Research: Racial Diversity within Families