About the Book:The past five decades have witnessed a dramatic change in our understanding of the nature of the family and its role in society. In a thorough revision of the first edition of this classic text and reference, published by Plenum in 1987, the editors have assembled a distinguished roster of contributors to address such topics as past, present, and future perspectives on family diversity; theory and methods of the family; changing family patterns and roles; the family and other institutions; and family dynamics and processes.