War Over The Family

by David Popenoe

One of the most surprising and controversial social debates of the past two decades has been about the meaning and importance of marriage and the family in contemporary American life. Referred to by some as a culture "war over the family," the debate has pitted those concerned about the weakening of the traditional married-parent nuclear family, especially in its impact on children, against those arguing that nothing has gone wrong with families "that they are merely diversifying." Drawing on his most seminal thinking, War Over the Family presents Popenoes observations and interpretations of the great family debate. The book includes his widely cited, now classic article "American Family Decline, 1960-1990: A Review and Appraisal" as well as his path-breaking "The Evolution of Marriage and the Problem of Stepfamilies" and the influential "Can the Nuclear Family be Revived?"

269 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004