Chapter
Making Decisions That Lead to a Fulfilling Life
Theoretical Approaches to Family Study
HIGHLIGHT:Sherlock Holmes,Dr.Watson,and Delinquency Data
2 Human Intimacy,Relationships,Marriage,and the Family
Family:The Basic Unit of Human Organization
The American Family:Many Structures and Much Change
FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD:China:Families and Government Policy
Change within Continuity and Uniqueness within Commonality
HIGHLIGHT:The Family Riddle
HIGHLIGHT:Tricky Statistics:Cohabitation and Rejection of Marriage
Family:A Buffer against Mental and Physical Illnesses
HIGHLIGHT:Why Do We Avoid Intimacy?
The Family as Interpreter of Society
Unique Characteristics of the American Family
HIGHLIGHT:What the Research Says
Family:The Consuming Unit of the American Economy
American Families:A Great Diversity of Types
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Should Our Society Recognize Gay Marriages?
The American Myth:Romantic Love Should Always Lead to Marriage
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Love and Friendship
Love in Strong Families:Appreciation and Respect
HIGHLIGHT:Gender Differences in Love
Love over Time:From Passionate to Companionate Love
HIGHLIGHT:Love and the Loss of One's Self-Identity
Love's Oft-Found Companion:Jealousy
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Are Love and Marriage Good for You?
4 Gender Convergence and Role Equity
Male=Masculine and Female=Feminine:Not Necessarily So
How Sex and Gender Identity Develop
HIGHLIGHT:The Xanith of Oman
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Stereotypical Sex-Role Differences Compared with Research Findings
Changing Male and Female Roles
HIGHLIGHT:“Firsts”for Women in the Past Three Decades
FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD:The Dani of Irian Jaya (Indonesian New Guinea)
The Movement toward Gender Equality
HIGHLIGHT:Men as the Oppressed Sex
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Can We Create Gender-Neutral Children?
5 Communications in Intimate Relationships
Good Communication:A Basic Strength of Successful Families
Communication Failure:An Indicator of Relationship Problems
The Foundation Blocks of Successful Communication
Developing a Smooth Flow of Communication
Making Decisions:You-,I-,and We-Statements
Men and Women:Do They Speak the Same Language?
HIGHLIGHT:How Men and Women Can Communicate Better in Intimate Relationships
Communication and Family Conflict
Personal Relationships in the Information Age
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?
6 Dating,Single Life,and Mate Selection
Premarital American Dating
Dating and Extended Singleness
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Women and Singleness
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Singles in America
HIGHLIGHT:Dawn and Nonmarital Pregnancy
Making Decisions:Is My Sexual Behavior Healthy?
Date Rape and Courtship Violence
Cohabitation:Unmarried-Couple Households
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Children and Cohabitation
Finding the One and Only:Mate Selection
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Does Sex Education Prevent Pregnancy or Encourage Promiscuity?
7 Marriage,Intimacy,Expectations,and the Fully Functioning Person
The Transition from Single to Married Life
Marriage:A Myriad of Interactions
FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD:Marriage in Japan
HIGHLIGHT:Religion and Marriage
Strong Relationships and Families
HIGHLIGHT:A Hectic Schedule
HIGHLIGHT:Carol:The Perpetual Seeker
HIGHLIGHT:Carl and Allison:The Perfect Couple
Making Decisions:Online Infidelity—Is it Really Cheating?
The Self-Actualized Person in the Fully Functioning Family
You and the State:Legal Aspects of Marriage
HIGHLIGHT:Navajo Marital Expectations
Making Decisions:The Couple's Inventory
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Is Marriage a Dying Institution?
Making Decisions:Sex Knowledge Inventory
The Uniqueness of Human Sexuality
HIGHLIGHT:The Sambians of Papua
Modifying Sexual Behavior
HIGHLIGHT:“What Role Should Sex Play in My Life?”Beth-Ann Asks
Differences between Male and Female Sexuality
HIGHLIGHT:A Precoital Contract
Physiology of the Sexual Response
HIGHLIGHT:Female Genital Mutilation
Making Decisions:What Are Your Biggest Problems and Complaints about Sex?
HIGHLIGHT:Describing Orgasm
Marital Sex:Can I Keep the Excitement Alive?
HIGHLIGHT:One Husband's Sexual Life
HIGHLIGHT:Sex and Physical Disability
Sex and the Aging Process
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Pornography
9 Family Planning,Pregnancy,and Birth
Are We Ready for Children?
Family Planning Decisions
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Who Has Abortions?
Making Decisions:How Old Is Too Old?
HIGHLIGHT:The Ultimate Breakthrough
HIGHLIGHT:Who,in Fact,Are the Parents of Jaycee?
HIGHLIGHT:Am I Really Pregnant?
HIGHLIGHT:Infant Mortality Rates
DEBATE THE ISSUES:To Clone or Not to Clone
10 The Challenge of Parenthood
What Effects Do Children Have on a Marriage?
HIGHLIGHT:The Highs and Lows of Parenthood
HIGHLIGHT:Diversity in Child-Rearing Values and Practices
Making Decisions:Using Discipline and Punishment Effectively
The Growing Child in the Family
HIGHLIGHT:Cell Phones—Don't Call Me,I'll Call You
HIGHLIGHT:Adolescent Hormones and Brain Functioning
HIGHLIGHT:Oh No,John Is Back Home Again
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Young Adults Living with Parents
Parents without Pregnancy:Adoption
HIGHLIGHT:Father Absence in African American Homes
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Should Parents Stay Home to Rear Their Children?
11 Family Life Stages:Middle Age to Surviving Spouse
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Increasing Life Expectancy
Dealing with Change:Another Characteristic of the Strong,Healthy Family
Middle Age:The Empty Nest
HIGHLIGHT:How a Highly Trained Engineer Became a Bicycle-Repair Man
Widowhood as the Last Stage of Marriage
HIGHLIGHT:Remarriage after the Loss of a Spouse
HIGHLIGHT:Death of a Young Wife:A Young Father Alone
HIGHLIGHT:Becoming Parents Again after Your Children Are Raised
Older but Coming on Strong
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Should Physicians Help Terminally Ill Patients Commit Suicide?
12 The Importance of Making Sound Economic Decisions
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:GNI per Capita in Various Countries
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Median Income of Households and Families
Slowly Drowning in a Sea of Debt
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Is College Worth It?
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:How Much Do Americans Owe?
Making Decisions:Compare Your Attitudes about Money
Making Good Credit,Borrowing,and Installment-Buying Decisions
Financial Problems and Marital Strain
The Seductive Society:Credit and Advertising
Effective Money Management
Making Decisions:How to Budget Your Income
Making Decisions:Budget Worksheet
The Economy and Black,Hispanic,Asian American,and Single-Parent Families
FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD:Mexico:The Middle-Class Family
Deciding What Insurance Is Needed
HIGHLIGHT:You Can Still Make a Million Dollars
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Credit:Is Credit The Way to Economic Freedom?
13 The Dual-Earner Family:The Real American Revolution
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Women in the Workforce
Making the Decision to Become a Two-Earner Family
Child Care and Parental Leave
Employers,Pregnant Employees,and Employed Mothers
Marital Satisfaction in the Two-Earner Family
Work and Family:Sources of Conflict
Jobs,Occupations,and Careers
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Is Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Pervasive?
HIGHLIGHT:Types of Stressor Events
HIGHLIGHT:Agencies That Can Help with Various Crises
Accidents,Injuries,and Catastrophic Illness
Making Decisions:The Case of the Weinstein Family
HIGHLIGHT:Repressed Memories of Incest
The Military Family in the Time of War
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Should Drugs Be Legalized?
15 The Dissolution of Marriage
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:Divorce Facts
Reasons for America's High Divorce Rate
Emotional Divorce and the Emotions of Divorce
HIGHLIGHT:Not One Divorce but Six
HIGHLIGHT:Divorce:Constant Self-Questioning
Divorce but Not the End of the Relationship
Making Decisions:What Changes Must Be Made with Divorce?
Problems of the Newly Divorced
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US:The Children of Divorce
HIGHLIGHT:Divorce and Dad
Divorce Counseling and Mediation
Divorce May Not Be the Answer
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Should Couples Stay Together for the Sake of the Children?
16 Remarriage:A Growing Way of American Life
Remarriage:Will I Make the Same Mistakes Again?
HIGHLIGHT:Bob,Carol,Ted,and Alice
Family Law and Stepfamilies
His,Hers,and Ours:The Stepfamily
HIGHLIGHT:How to Ruin a Remarriage
HIGHLIGHT:The Ten Commandments of Stepparenting
HIGHLIGHT:How Much Closer Can We Get?
Building Stepfamily Strengths
DEBATE THE ISSUES:Fatherless America:Can a Stepfather Take the Place of a Biological Father?
17 Actively Seeking Marital Growth and Fulfillment
“And They Lived Happily Ever After”
HIGHLIGHT:Economic Success,Marital Failure
HIGHLIGHT:Self-Improvement,Marital Failure
Marriage Improvement Programs
HIGHLIGHT:A Family Life Enrichment Weekend
HIGHLIGHT:Marriage Encounter
Marriage with Purpose:Effective Management
In the Future,the Family Will Remain and Diversify
Appendix A Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Appendix B Contraceptive Methods