| Description |
1 online resource (295 pages) : illustrations |
| Physical Medium |
polychrome |
| Description |
text file |
| Note |
Originally published: Open University, 2008. |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Summary |
Family Studies is a key area of policy, professional and personal debate. Perhaps precisely because of this, teaching texts have struggled with how to approach this area, which is both 'familiar' and also contentious and value laden. This innovative and reflective book deals with such dilemmas head-on, through its focus on family meanings in diverse contexts in order to enhance our understanding of everyday social lives and professional practices. Drawing on extracts and research by leading authors in the field of family studies, Understanding Family Meanings provides the reader with an overview of the basic concepts and theories related to families using readings with questions and analysis to encourage reflection and learning. Published in association with The Open University, the book centralises the question what is 'family' and focuses on family meanings as the key underpinnings for academic study and professional training. It explores the shifting and subtle ways in which individuals, researchers, policy-makers and professionals make sense of the idea of 'family' and in doing so considers issues of power, inequality and values which are integral to any understanding of family meanings. Audio discussions with leading authorities in the field are also available online to enhance the content and key concepts of the book. It therefore provides an excellent foundation for any module in family studies, as well as all professional training modules that include attention to families and close relationships, and for further learning in the area of families and relationships. |
| Contents |
Understanding family meanings -- Contents -- Chapter 1. Why family meanings? -- 1 Introducing �family meanings� -- 1.1 Core questions -- 1.2 Exploring values and assumptions -- 1.3 Structures of power and inequalities -- 2 Can we, and should we, define what wemean by �family�? -- 2.1 Attempting definitions -- 2.2 Responding to the problems -- 2.3 What�s so difficult? -- 2.4 The slippery language of �family� -- 3 So what is �family�? -- 4 What�s next? -- Introduction to Part 1 -- Part 1. Research |
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Chapter 2. Family meanings in contemporary contexts1 Introduction -- 2 Do family meanings matter? -- 2.1 Family meanings matter to people in their individual lives and relationships -- 2.2 Family meanings matter in social policies and professional practices -- 2.3 Family meanings matter in family studies -- 3 What do social scientists mean by �meanings�? -- 3.1 Meanings in social lives -- 3.2 Evaluating meanings? -- 3.3 Two meanings of �meaning� -- 3.4 Meanings in context -- 4 Everyday family meanings -- 5 Overarching themes of family meanings |
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6 Layers of meanings in variable settings7 Conclusions -- Chapter 3. Teasing threads apart -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Exploring qualitative research -- 2.1 Introducing the studies -- 2.2 Reading critically -- 2.3 Framing questions -- 3 Teasing threads apart -- 4 Ideals and daily experiences � living up to �family� -- 5 Conclusions -- Chapter 4. Understanding �family� and household through quantitative evidence -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Categories, boundaries and counting families -- 2.1 Strengths and weaknesses of quantitative research |
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2.2 Geographical boundaries2.3 Families and categories -- 3 The census and the household -- 4 Reading and interpreting quantitative data -- 4.1 Reading statistics with a critical eye -- 4.2 Trends and time frames -- 5 Beyond the official statistics: other quantitative research about families -- 6 Comparing households and families -- 7 Conclusions -- Part 2: Theories and concepts -- Introduction to Part 2 -- Chapter 5. Family discourses and family practices -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Discourses of family -- 2.1 What is discourse? |
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2.2 Family discourse and social power2.3 Competing discourses -- 2.4 Discourse, power, negotiation and the patterning of meaning -- 3 Family practices -- 3.1 Why family practices? -- 3.2 Families are what families do: the example of family leisure -- 4 Conclusions -- Chapter 6. Intimacy and personal life -- 1 Introduction -- 2 From �family� to �intimacy� and �personal life� -- 3 Intimacies -- 3.1 Alternative views of the �transformation of intimacy� -- 3.2 Diverse intimacies -- 4 Personal life -- 5 Conclusions -- Part 3: Contexts |
| Local Note |
eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - North America |
| Subject |
Families -- Research -- Methodology.
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Families -- Research -- Methodology. |
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Families -- Research. |
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Families.
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Families. |
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Sociology.
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Sociology. |
| Genre/Form |
Electronic books.
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| Added Author |
Doolittle, Megan.
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Sclater, Shelley Day.
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Open University.
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| Other Form: |
Print version: Ribbens McCarthy, Jane. Understanding family meanings : a reflective text. Bristol : Policy Press in association with the Open University, 2012 287 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. 9781447301127 |
| ISBN |
9781447314509 (electronic book) |
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1447314506 (electronic book) |
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9781447308799 |
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1447308794 |
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9781447301127 |
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9781447301134 |
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1447301137 |
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1447301129 |
|
