Handbook of World Families [ハードカバー]

`In the Handbook of World Families, Bert Adams and Jan Trost, two of the leading scholars in the field of comparative family studies, have masterfully edited a book that comparatively examines families from 25 nations located around the world. The chapter contributors have both theoretical and research knowledge as well as lived experiences of respective nation’s families. The result is a well written, highly informed, and authoritative handbook that investigates an extensive range of family issues from local, national, and global perspectives' - Mark Hutter, Rowan University

What defines a family? The term family is very complex with a vast range of meanings. It can mean a married couple with children, a single parent and child, a married couple with no children, even pets and close friends can be considered to some people as family. The variety is enormous and this family diversity is present not just in the United States, but around the world.

The Handbook of World Families provides a cross-cultural perspective on the family by examining family life in 25 countries worldwide. The countries included in this volume are organized by six world regions including Africa, Asia/South Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America-offering readers the most thorough and balanced cross-cultural examination of world families available. Bert N Adams and Jan Trost, along with contributions by top family studies experts from around the world, ensure reliable, cutting-edge research and perspectives.

While other books may provide a cross-cultural perspective on the family, this book offers a unique comparative view. In doing so, each chapter of the Handbook is organized in a parallel format beginning with an introduction to the region, followed by coverage of mate selection, fertility and socialization, gender roles, marriage, stresses and violence, divorce and remarriage, kinship, aging and death, family and other institutions, and special topics specific to the region.

The Handbook of World Families is an excellent addition to any academic library and an important resource for scholars and academics in the fields of Family Studies and Sociology. It can also be used in graduate level courses on the family in cross-cultural perspective, comparative family organization, and world families. (20040624)

Bert N. Adams (Ph.D., University of North Carolina) is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He is a former President and currently a Fellow of the National Council on Family Relations. He has taught sociological theory extensively, both in East Africa and at the University of Wisconsin, and also teaches and writes on the sociology of the family. He is the author of several books, including the introductory textbook THE FAMILY: A SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION, 5^TH EDITION (Harcourt Brace 1995) and SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY (Pine Forge Press 2001). With David M. Klein, he served as co-editor of the Understanding Families Series with Sage, which produced 20 books between 1995 and 2002. He is well connected with family sociologists throughout the world. 

Jan Trost is Professor of Sociology at the University of Uppsala in Uppsala, Sweden. He is a former President of the International Sociological Association (ISA) and Honorary Chair of the Committee on Family Research of the ISA. He is the author of several books and numerous journal articles and travels frequently to maintain professional contacts and collaborations throughout the world.