COURSE READINGS

The texts in this course are listed below.  The books are available for purchase at the Vanderbilt bookstore.  Additional course readings will be listed on the paidiea memo page links to .pdf copies of them. You should review the printed syllabus for the dates readings are assigned.  Readings should be done before you come to class that day and are intended as an aid to understanding that day's lecture or class discussion. 

White, James M and David M. Klein. (2002). Family Theories, Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

"This solid revision of the best-selling Family Theories remains the only single-volume textbook to present family theory in a clear, approachable manner appropriate for both advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students.  Brief fictional accounts or vignettes introduce each theoretical framework, concretely illustrating for students how the theory relates to very real aspects of family life.  In addition, all chapters follow a uniform format that allows students to more easily compare and contrast theories.  Each chapter also includes a typology for analyzing and comparing the seven frameworks while providing direction for future theory development." (Publisher)

 

Skolnick, Arlene S and Jerome H. Skolnick. (2005). Family In Transition, Thirteenth Edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

"This best-selling reader on families and intimate relationships identifies the most current trends and places them in historical context. The reader balances cutting-edge scholarship with perennial favorites. Many selections support the authors' claim of a “triple revolution” transforming contemporary family life: the move to a postindustrial service and information economy; a life course revolution brought about by reduced mortality and fertility; and psychological changes rooted in rising educational levels. Anyone looking for a collection of classic and contemporary readings on the sociology of the family." (Publisher)