Family Theories

Building upon the success of two previous bestselling editions, the Third Edition of Family Theories continues to be the ideal resource for readers wishing to develop an understanding of sophisticated ideas about families and marriages. Authors James White and David Klein have updated and revised each chapter based on readers’ suggestions and on developments in the area of family sociology and family studies. An incisive, thorough introduction to current and traditional theories of the family, this text balances the diversity and richness of a broad scope of scholarly work.

New to the Third Edition

• Starts with a reorganized introductory chapter: The opening chapter has been restructured for increased clarity and to offer a better guide to utilizing theory to guide research and practice.
• Introduces a new chapter: Previous editions included seven major theoretical frameworks to explain variation in family life. The Third Edition welcomes the addition of an eighth framework on functionalist theory.
• Includes material on postmodernism: By placing information on postmodernism within the chapter on the feminist framework, the authors allow readers to see more clearly how these two intellectual movements relate to the study of families.
• Offers updates throughout: Significant additions to the “Variations” section of all chapters have been made to capture new theoretical developments.
• Restores several meta-theories: Deleted from the last chapter in the previous edition, several meta-theories, dealing with the type of causation, treatment of time, and the level of analysis, have been added back in this new edition.

Intended Audience

This text is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses such as Family Theories, Family Systems & Theory, and Sociology of the Family in departments of family studies, sociology, and human development