Public and Private Families: A Reader

Public and Private Families: A Reader, Second Editionexamines the family through two lenses -- the familiar private family in which we live most of our personal lives, and the public family in which we, as adults, deal with broader societal issues such as raising the next generation and the care of the elderly. Consequently the selected readings look both at intimate personal concerns, such as whether to marry, as well as societal concerns, such as governmental policies that affect families. The author introduces each chapter, providing helpful lead-ins to the readings that follow. The 32 readings in this edition are comprised of a well-balanced mix of highly accessible selections from the popular press as well as articles from scholarly journals. This reader serves as an excellent companion to other texts in the sociology of marriage and the family and as a useful source of information on its own. It is an excellent supplement to Cherlin’s text, Public and Private Families: An Introduction. Its 16 chapters, which address contemporary issues such as the history of the family, welfare and welfare reform, divorce and stepparenting are keyed to the 16 chapters in Cherlin's text.