Descripciones mejoradas de Syndetics:

An incisive, multidisciplinary look at the American family over the past 200 years, written by respected scholars and researchers. Family in America offers two powerful antidotes to popular misconceptions about American family life: historical perspective and scientific objectivity. When we look back at our early history, we discover that the idealized 1950s family--characterized by a rising birthrate, a stable divorce rate, and a declining age of marriage--was a historical aberration, out of line with long-term historical trends.Working mothers, we learn, are not a 20th century invention; most families throughout American history have needed more than one breadwinner. In the exciting new scholarship described here, readers will learn precisely what is new in American family life and what is not, and acquire the perspective they need to appreciate both the genuine improvements and the losses that come with change.

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Part of "The American Family" series, which includes Parenthood in America (CH, Sep'01) and Boyhood in America (CH, Sep'02), this set contains 184 signed essays by experts on the American family. It is so similar to Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family (2v., 1995) and Encyclopedia of Family Life (CH, Jun'99) that any library owning either is unlikely to want to add this one. Many of the essays treat topics so broad (e.g., gerontology, child abuse) that brief treatment is superficial; inexplicably, other topics (banns) are quite narrow. Some topics are covered twice: anorexia nervosa has its own article and is also covered in the article "Eating Disorders." While essays are supposed to focus on recent research, many give most of their space to a historical overview, with perhaps a paragraph or two at the end on the 1990s forward. Illustrations (black and white only) often seem only tangentially related to the text. Recommended for libraries that lack other encyclopedias on this topic. D. Richards Minnesota State University--Mankato

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Joseph M. Hawes is professor of history at the University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. Elizabeth F. Shores is an independent scholar in Little Rock, AK.