The Family: Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change

by Philip N. Cohen

Learn the facts and debunk the fictions about contemporary families.

Looking at modern families through the context of diversity, inequality, and social change, FamilyInequality.com blogger and demographer Philip N. Cohen brings a fresh approach to the sociological study of family life. The text features a wealth of original, interactive graphics of contemporary family trends and encourages students to be savvy consumers of media. Integrated workshops based on activities from Cohen’s undergraduate course give students the opportunity to apply what they learn in the book to their own lives.

Genres: School, Nonfiction, Sociology, College

592 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2014

Reviews

[Tristan Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cohen's "The Family" is a great introductory textbook to sociological research on families. It's actually more than that - it's an introduction to sociological thinking and research more generally that relies on research on families as its central example. Cohen's writing is engaging, which makes for a fun read. But his explanations of social trends, examples of research, and charts and graphs are what make this book truly unique. And Cohen's background as a social demographer and training as a public intellectual make him uniquely gifted at distilling complex ideas, research, and information into bite-sized chunks that invite people to learn more. I loved it.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great text. I especially appreciated the insights into how state and market forces influence family formation, "contributing to larger social trends". Overall, I good sociological reference that highlights the importance of family structure (and disintegration).

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used as a textbook for my sociology class. This is the first college textbook I have actually read through entirely and enjoyed. I have never picked up a textbook and read it without skimming pages. This I read thoroughly so I felt it deserved to be added to my shelf

[Ashley G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm counting this bitch, too. I at least read this one cover to cover. Even for a textbook, it kind of sucks. It's disjointed. The author introduces a topic in the middle of another section and does not expand on it until chapters later. Why? And so many personal interjections from the author. Maybe I just don't like sociology, idk. Everything in this book is common sense if you've read a book or had a conversation with literally anyone outside the white upper class. Western academia is so funny. If it's not proven through data and peer review, inequality and oppression simply doesn't exist. PROVE it to us says the rich white men!

[Philip Cohen]

I wrote it so it would be wrong to write a review. But I'll say that if you're interested, I hope you'll visit my blog at familyinequality.com, my website at philipncohen.com, or the publisher's page for the book (where you can request an exam copy) at http://books.wwnorton.com/books/978-0.... Thanks!

[Elijah Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philip Cohen’s The Family is a refreshing and deeply eye-opening look at how the 'American family' has evolved far beyond the traditional nuclear model. What makes this text stand out is Cohen’s background as a demographer; he uses fascinating data-driven trends and interactive graphics to debunk myths and show the reality of modern household diversity. I especially appreciated how he weaves the themes of inequality and social change throughout every chapter—whether discussing the 'marriage market,' gender fluidity, or the impact of socio-economic status on parenting. It’s rare to find a sociological text that manages to be this rigorous while maintaining a conversational and engaging tone. It completely changed the way I consume media reports about family life, turning me into a much more critical and savvy observer. A must-read for students and anyone interested in the complex, beautiful, and sometimes difficult realities of how we live today.

Key Features Often Noted by Readers:
The "Savvy Consumer" Goal: Reviewers often mention that the book teaches them how to "read between the lines" of news headlines and statistics about divorce or marriage rates.

Modern Inclusivity: The book is highly praised for its robust coverage of same-sex relationships, cohabitation, and single-parent households without treating them as "exceptions" to a rule.

Family Inequality Blog Connection: Many readers follow Cohen’s popular blog and find that his "Citizen Scholar" approach makes the academic content feel relevant to current politics and social justice.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to family demography.

[A. J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fall term 2020

[m · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of it felt like common sense or well know info-could have gone more in-depth

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great textbook!

[Bre Neumann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another sociology book saying the exact thing as the previous one. Nothing new. Slanted and biased. What a waste.