Social Class and Changing Families in an Unequal America

American families are far more diverse and complex today than they were 50 years ago. As ideas about marriage, divorce, and remarriage have changed, so too have our understandings about cohabitation, childbearing, parenting, and the transition to adulthood. Americans of all socioeconomic backgrounds have witnessed changes in the nature of family life, but as this book reveals, these changes play out in very different ways for the wealthy or well off than they do for the poor.

Social Class and Changing Families in an Unequal America offers an up-to-the-moment assessment of the condition of the family in an era of growing inequality. Highlighting unique aspects of family behavior, it reveals the degree to which families' varying experiences are shaped by social class. This book offers a much needed assessment of contemporary family life amid the turbulent economic changes in the United States.

Author: Marcia J. Carlson
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Published: 06/21/2011
Pages: 248
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.24lbs
Size: 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.69d
ISBN: 9780804770880

Review Citation(s):
Choice 11/01/2011

About the Author
Marcia J. Carlson is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Paula England is Professor of Sociology at Stanford University.