The Changing Family and Child Development

Based on selected papers from an international congress of the same name in July 1997, this text looks at the context of families; family adjustment and transitions; and child and adolescent development and attachment. The book sets out to bring together advanced research by psychologies, social workers, physicians, sociologists and other social scientists on the interface between society, the family, children, adolescents and other family members. There are a number of conclusions reached by different authors but some of the main ones are: causal impact of early childhood experiences and family dynamics influence on development; a number of protective factors contribute to children's resiliencey; the pattern of family size and dynamics are changing and will continue to change; there are a number of changing roles for girls, women and mothers that influence family dynamics and structure; and finally, the negative impact on children from extensive non-maternal care.