State of Families

<p><em>The State of Families: Law Policy and the Meanings of Relationships</em> collects essential readings on the family to examine the multiple forms of contemporary families the many issues facing families the policies that regulate families and how families—and family life—have become politicized.</p><p>This text explores various dimensions of the family and uses a critical approach to understand the historical cultural and political constructions of the family. Each section takes different aspects of the family to highlight the intersection of individual experience structures of inequality—including race class gender sexuality disability and immigration—and state power. Readings both original and reprinted from a wide range of experts in the field show the multiple forms and meanings of family by delving into topics including the traditional ground of motherhood childhood and marriage while also exploring cutting edge research into fatherhood reproduction child-free families and welfare. </p><p>Taking an interdisciplinary approach to the family<i> The State of Families </i>offers students in the social sciences and professionals working with families new ways to identify how social structure and institutional practice shape individual experience. </p>