One undeniable fact about families is that they keep changing, both in terms of structure and behavior. Many factors have served to bring about such changes, including social, cultural, political, and institutional change, resulting in family forms which perhaps may represent the new 'traditional' in the not-so-distant future. Through research studies from around the world, this volume examines these changing structures and behaviors, and attempts to better illustrate the ever-changing nature of families. Topics covered include: transracial adoption, lesbian parenting, intergenerational...

Researchers, practitioners, and parents have increasingly become concerned about issues related to sex, gender, and sexuality among children and adolescents. With access to the Internet, young people around the globe can readily obtain virtually any and all information they seek concerning sex and sexuality. In many cultures, the clothing and fashions of children, adolescents, and young adults are increasingly merging, leaving little clear distinction between them, and creating what some consider to be the 'sexualization' of children's and adolescents' clothing. Coinciding with such changes,...

As family structures continue to evolve, aging relatives have caused increasing concern for family members as they attempt to manage complex issues such as health, caregiving, emotional and instrumental support, and intergenerational relationships. This multidisciplinary volume focuses on how aging interacts with family structures and relationship dynamics.  Including research from around the globe, the authors address a wide array of topics, including family support networks, elderly care, grandparenthood, marital dynamics and satisfaction, elderly divorce, cohabitation, gender, and...