Overview

The family remains the most contested institution in American society. How Families Matter: Simply Complicated Intersections of Race, Gender, and Work explores the ways adults make sense of their family lives in the midst of the complicated debates generated by politicians and social scientists. Given the rhetoric about the family, this book is a well overdue account of family life from the perspective of families themselves. The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with a whole view of different types of families. The chapters focus on contemporary issues such as who do we consider to be a part of our family, can anyone achieve family-life balance, and how do families celebrate when they get together? Relying on stories shared by a racially/ethnically diverse group of forty-six families, this book finds that parents and siblings cultivate a family identity that both defines who they are and influences who they become. It is a welcomed installment to conversations about the family, as families are finally viewed within a single study from a multicultural lens.

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9781498522588

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Reviews

An intimate journey with Jackson and Ray, who tell the stories of families through the lens of identity. Race, gender, and class intersect as family members negotiate work and family, and reunite in times of celebration and crisis. An ambitious sociological analysis of real families today. Spirited and triumphant.--Susan E. Short, Brown University How Families Matter is a critical exploration of contemporary family life that informs the ongoing family decline-resilience debate. In embracing the demographic reality that families have become more complex, it offers us a practical and refreshing look into how real people 'do family.' To do so, How Families Matter uses theory and the extant academic literature as a canvas upon which it paints vibrant pictures featuring first person accounts of family life from respondents of over 100 qualitative interviews. In sum, How Families Matter makes a unique contribution to the field of family studies and should be on the reading lists of students, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike.--Armon R. Perry, University of Louisville This beautifully written book captures the incredible complexity of American families by showcasing the real-life stories of individuals in families. It is sure to become a classic in the finest tradition of richly-textured sociological research on families.--Debra Umberson, University of Texas

Author Information

Pamela Braboy Jackson is professor of sociology at Indiana University, Bloomington. Rashawn Ray is associate professor of sociology at the University of Maryland.

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