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Exploring Marriages and Families, 3rd edition

Published by Pearson (June 13, 2018) © 2018

  • Karen Seccombe Portland State University

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For courses in Marriage and Family
An integrated approach to the historical, cultural, social, and political influences upon marriages and families
Revel™ Exploring Marriages and Families helps students gain a thorough understanding of the social context in which they live and the relevance of social science to their lives. Author Karen Seccombe captures the compelling relationship and family issues of our time via a fresh perspective — one that places individual relationships in their social context so that students can more fully understand why they make the choices they do. The 3rd Edition has been updated to reflect the latest data and scholarship and includes new content that reflects the contemporary state of marriages and families to boost relevance to students’ lives.
Revel is Pearson’s newest way of delivering our respected content. Fully digital and highly engaging, Revel replaces the textbook and gives students everything they need for the course. Informed by extensive research on how people read, think, and learn, Revel is an interactive learning environment that enables students to read, practice, and study in one continuous experience — for less than the cost of a traditional textbook.

Learn more about Revel.
Dynamic content designed for the way today's students read, think, and learn brings concepts to life
  • Integrated within the narrative, interactives empower students to engage with concepts and take an active role in learning. Revel's unique presentation of media as an intrinsic part of course content brings the hallmark features of Pearson's bestselling titles to life. Revel's media interactives have been designed to be completed quickly, so students stay focused and on task.
    • Chapter-opening vignettes and video clips use humor, emotion, and curiosity to engage students and immediately draw them into the chapter. Each chapter begins with a compelling personal narrative and accompanying video clip that chronicles an individual’s or a couple’s experience that is relevant to the chapter. Examples include a couple describing the benefits of their arranged marriage; a moving account of an international adoption; and a heroic confrontation of intimate partner violence.
    • Bringing It Full Circle sections offer students opportunities to review chapter material, reinforcing what they’ve learned. Each chapter’s concluding section revisits the opening narrative and video clip, and prompts students to think critically about it in the context of what they have learned in the chapter.
  • In political science, the currency of your content matters. Current Event Bulletins bring currency into your classroom with author-written articles that connect key concepts with real-life current events. Articles include the following:
    • The U.S. Census Will Ask about Same-Sex Marriage in 2020
    • Should an Abused Wife be Charged in Her Husband’s Crimes?
    • Can I Depend on Social Security?
  • Located throughout Revel, quizzing affords students opportunities to check their understanding at regular intervals before moving on.
  • The Revel mobile app lets students read, practice, and study — anywhere, anytime, on any device. Content is available both online and offline, and the app syncs work across all registered devices automatically, giving students great flexibility to toggle between phone, tablet, and laptop as they move through their day. The app also lets students set assignment notifications to stay on top of all due dates.
  • Revel’s writing functionality enables educators to integrate writing — among the best ways to foster and assess critical thinking — into the course without significantly impacting their grading burden. Self-paced Journaling Prompts throughout the narrative encourage students to express their thoughts without breaking stride in their reading. And assignable Shared Writing Activities direct students to share written responses with classmates, fostering peer discussion.
  • Highlighting, note taking, and a glossary let students read and study however they like. Educators can add notes for students, too, including reminders or study tips.

Engaging features highlight the relevance of course material to students’ lives
  • Tying It All Together features clearly identify macro- and micro-level influences on our marriages, families, and close relationships. Within each chapter, this feature shows how culture, history, social institutions, and social status shape personal choices and constraints, including sexual scripts; dating and mate-selection practices; the decline in marriage rates; the division of household labor; and the decision to have a child.
  • Policy and You: From Macro to Micro features help students connect social structure to their personal lives. These features focus on how social structure creates specific needs within families, and how social policy can address those needs. Examples include maternity and family leave policies in the United States compared with other developed nations; the history of domestic partnerships and issues surrounding same-sex marriage; and budgeting choices families living in poverty must make.
  • My Family boxes bring the material alive for students, affording opportunities to see the effect of social structure on families, the diversity of family experience, and the importance of systematic research. Examples include stories of delaying marriage; living in a stepfamily; dating violence; growing up poor; and the experience of being widowed at a young age.
  • Diversity in Families features highlight the diversity of experience around the world, as well as within our own country. These features illustrate a variety of diverse family experiences and traditions, and help students understand that families are not monolithic or static, but ever-changing.
  • Why Do Research? features demonstrate the relevance of research offering specific theoretical or methodological insights that help students to better evaluate research findings and see the relevance to their lives. In addition, the feature shows how research findings can challenge our stereotypes, such as whether women are really more talkative than men.
  • Getting to Know Yourself self-tests enable student to identify their own opinions, and compare themselves to others. These self-tests can be taken individually or completed in class to spring-board discussion.

New features and updated content keep the text engaging and contemporary
  • NEW! Specific learning objectives in each chapter guide students through the material and ensure that they are are acquiring the knowledge they need.
  • UPDATED! The text has been updated with 2015 and 2016 statistics whenever possible.
  • NEW! Sociology-inspired photo journalism has been incorporated to illustrate key concepts.
  • UPDATED! The most recent scholarship from the leading family journals has been incorporated throughout.
  • NEW! A more reader-friendly writing style engages students and makes key concepts accessible.
  • NEW! The Third Edition pays greater attention to racial and ethnic minorities and differences across groups.
  • NEW! In order to keep pace with societal changes, the Third Edition offers increased coverage of same-sex couples, including marriage.
  • NEW! The Third Edition features a greater use of theory throughout, as well as clearer comparisons of macro- and micro-level factors that influence families.
  • NEW! Additional personal narratives help students grasp the concepts.
  • NEW! Expanded international coverage helps students understand family differences across the globe.

Superior assignability and tracking tools help educators make sure students are completing their reading and understanding core concepts
  • Revel’s assignment calendar allows educators to indicate precisely which readings must be completed on which dates. This clear, detailed schedule helps students stay on task by eliminating any ambiguity as to which material will be covered during each class. When they understand exactly what is expected of them, students are better motivated to keep up.
  • Revel’s performance dashboard empowers educators to monitor class assignment completion as well as individual student achievement. Actionable information, such as points earned on quizzes and tests and time on task, helps educators intersect with their students in meaningful ways. For example, the trending column reveals whether students' grades are improving or declining, helping educators to identify students who might need help to stay on track.
  • Revel’s Blackboard Learn™ integration provides institutions, instructors, and students easy access to their Revel courses. With single sign-on, students can be ready to access Revel’s interactive blend of authors' narrative, media, and assessment on their first day. Flexible, on-demand grade synchronization capabilities allow educators to control exactly which Revel grades should be transferred to the Blackboard Gradebook.

Print-on-demand functionality after purchase gives students an extra level of support
  • Revel was designed to give students everything they need, all in one integrated digital learning environment. But if students wish to order a print version of their Revel program, they can do so from directly within Revel after purchase for a small fee at any time during the course. We offer this option in order to facilitate successful learning outcomes for students with varied learning styles.
Dynamic content designed for the way today's students read, think, and learn brings concepts to life
  • Integrated within the narrative, interactives empower students to engage with concepts and take an active role in learning. Revel's unique presentation of media as an intrinsic part of course content brings the hallmark features of Pearson's bestselling titles to life. Revel's media interactives have been designed to be completed quickly, so students stay focused and on task.
    • Chapter-opening vignettes and video clips use humor, emotion, and curiosity to engage students and immediately draw them into the chapter. Each chapter begins with a compelling personal narrative and accompanying video clip that chronicles an individual’s or a couple’s experience that is relevant to the chapter. Examples include a couple describing the benefits of their arranged marriage; a moving account of an international adoption; and a heroic confrontation of intimate partner violence.
    • Bringing It Full Circle sections offer students opportunities to review chapter material, reinforcing what they’ve learned. Each chapter’s concluding section revisits the opening narrative and video clip, and prompts students to think critically about it in the context of what they have learned in the chapter.
  • In political science, the currency of your content matters. Current Event Bulletins bring currency into your classroom with author-written articles that connect key concepts with real-life current events. Articles include the following:
    • The U.S. Census Will Ask about Same-Sex Marriage in 2020
    • Should an Abused Wife be Charged in Her Husband’s Crimes?
    • Can I Depend on Social Security?
  • Located throughout Revel, quizzing affords students opportunities to check their understanding at regular intervals before moving on.
  • The Revel mobile app lets students read, practice, and study — anywhere, anytime, on any device. Content is available both online and offline, and the app syncs work across all registered devices automatically, giving students great flexibility to toggle between phone, tablet, and laptop as they move through their day. The app also lets students set assignment notifications to stay on top of all due dates.
  • Revel’s writing functionality enables educators to integrate writing — among the best ways to foster and assess critical thinking — into the course without significantly impacting their grading burden. Self-paced Journaling Prompts throughout the narrative encourage students to express their thoughts without breaking stride in their reading. And assignable Shared Writing Activities direct students to share written responses with classmates, fostering peer discussion.
  • Highlighting, note taking, and a glossary let students read and study however they like. Educators can add notes for students, too, including reminders or study tips.

New features and updated content keep the text engaging and contemporary
  • Specific learning objectives in each chapter guide students through the material and ensure that they are are acquiring the knowledge they need.
  • UPDATED! The text has been updated with 2015 and 2016 statistics whenever possible.
  • Sociology-inspired photo journalism has been incorporated to illustrate key concepts.
  • UPDATED! The most recent scholarship from the leading family journals has been incorporated throughout.
  • A more reader-friendly writing style engages students and makes key concepts accessible.
  • The Third Edition pays greater attention to racial and ethnic minorities and differences across groups.
  • In order to keep pace with societal changes, the Third Edition offers increased coverage of same-sex couples, including marriage.
  • The Third Edition features a greater use of theory throughout, as well as clearer comparisons of macro- and micro-level factors that influence families.
  • Additional personal narratives help students grasp the concepts.
  • Expanded international coverage helps students understand family differences across the globe.

Thorough content revisions ensure an up-to-date learning experience
  • Chapter 1
    • Updates discussion of China’s one-child policy
    • Updates information about the movement to increase minimum wage
    • Clearer distinction between qualitative and quantitative research
  • Chapter 2
    • Suggests greater caution about overgeneralizing findings from research
    • Expands coverage of the ways in which video games and television shows teach gendered roles
    • Provides recent research evidence about the prevalence of prejudice and discrimination.
    • Updates information about the race and ethnic composition of the U.S.
    • Clarifies differences between first and second generation Hispanics
    • Elaborates on the intersection of ethnicity, race, class, and gender
  • Chapter 3
    • Expands coverage of singlehood, including how intersections affect the experience of singlehood
    • Expands research coverage on cross-sex friendships
    • Updates discussion of online dating
    • Increases coverage of cohabitation and effects of cohabitation on children
    • Highlights new data on same-sex partner households
    • Includes coverage of racial and religious homogamy
  • Chapter 4
    • Increases coverage of biochemical approaches to love
    • Elaborates on the importance of romantic love to most Americans
    • Presents the positive aspects of an arranged marriage on relationships
    • Expands coverage of controlling behavior, including stalking
    • Highlights research on break-ups
  • Chapter 5
    • Greater attention to the portrayal of sex in the popular media
    • Expands coverage of transgender issues
    • Provides an greater understanding of sexual scripts
    • Updates discussion of the double standard, including how both males and females view the double standard and it’s effects on understanding women’s sexuality
    • Provides the latest data on teen pregnancy and births
    • Expands coverage about the hook-up sexual culture among young adults
    • Updates research on sex and the elderly
    • Broadens discussion of STIs
  • Chapter 6
    • Expands coverage of social media sites
    • Greater attention to the importance of nonverbal communication
    • Updates research about sex differences in communication
    • Further discussion of conflict in relationships
  • Chapter 7
    • Updates marriage trends
    • Explains why marriage rates vary across race and ethnicity
    • Reviews the research about marriage across social class boundaries
    • Updates coverage of same-sex marriage
    • Expands coverage of the “marriage premium,” and compares it to the benefits that accrue to cohabitors
    • Incorporates the most recent data about marital satisfaction
    • Includes new statistics and analysis about changing attitudes toward marriage
  • Chapter 8
    • Increases coverage in fertility patterns throughout the world
    • Updates fertility patterns in the U.S.
    • Provides expanded information about the costs and benefits of raising children
    • Expands coverage of those who are childfree by choice and by infertility
    • Provides new information about transracial adoption
    • Elaborates on the transition to parenthood
  • Chapter 9
    • Introduces the importance of computers as an agent of socialization
    • Updates information about gender socialization
    • Expands coverage on fathering
    • Updates statistics on teen parenting
    • Elaborates on the ways that children’s characteristics influence parenting
    • Expands discussion of grandparents raising grandchildren
  • Chapter 10
    • Updates trends on women’s labor force participation
    • Revises discussion on the post-recession to reflect where we are in 2016 and beyond
    • Provides additional information about unstable wages and working conditions
    • Expands discussion of health insurance and the Affordable Care Act
    • Expands coverage on family chores and the division of household labor
    • Updates and increases coverage about childcare
  • Chapter 11
    • Provides greater international coverage
    • Updates data using the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey and the National Crime Victimization Survey
    • Expands coverage of stalking and cyberstalking
    • Includes new information about violence in same-sex relationships
    • Elaborates on rape and sexual assault, including on college campuses
    • Provides new and expanded information on child and elder abuse
  • Chapter 12
    • Clarifies how divorce data are collected and the ways in which collection has changed
    • Elaborates on the macro- and micro-level factors associated with divorce
    • Expands coverage of alimony
    • Updates discussion on joint physical custody
    • More fully reviews the short and long-term effects of divorce on children.
    • Analyzes the feasibility of a “good divorce.”
  • Chapter 13
    • Introduces the differences in women’s downward mobility after divorce by social class
    • Elaborates on the double standard in repartnering and remarriage
    • Includes new data about cohabitation after divorce
    • Expands coverage of stepfamilies
    • Further distinguishes between stepmother and stepfather roles
    • Compares the sense of family obligation between biological and stepfamilies
  • Chapter 14
    • Updates changing demographics
    • Elaborates on ageism and the myths surrounding aging
    • Includes new information about the increase of young adults living with their parents
    • Expands coverage of same-sex elderly couples
    • Discusses the macro- and micro-level reasons that the age at retirement is increasing
    • Further coverage of health issues such as Alzheimer’s Disease and long-term care
  • Chapter 15
    • Makes more explicit policy comparisons between the U.S. and other countries
    • Greater coverage of telecommuting jobs
    • Updates coverage of minimum vs. living wages
    • Expanded analysis of the Earned Income Tax Credit
    • Introduces Child Tax Credit
    • Added coverage of Social Security and Medicare

Superior assignability and tracking tools help educators make sure students are completing their reading and understanding core concepts
  • Revel’s assignment calendar allows educators to indicate precisely which readings must be completed on which dates. This clear, detailed schedule helps students stay on task by eliminating any ambiguity as to which material will be covered during each class. When they understand exactly what is expected of them, students are better motivated to keep up.
  • Revel’s performance dashboard empowers educators to monitor class assignment completion as well as individual student achievement. Actionable information, such as points earned on quizzes and tests and time on task, helps educators intersect with their students in meaningful ways. For example, the trending column reveals whether students' grades are improving or declining, helping educators to identify students who might need help to stay on track.
  • Revel’s Blackboard Learn™ integration provides institutions, instructors, and students easy access to their Revel courses. With single sign-on, students can be ready to access Revel’s interactive blend of authors' narrative, media, and assessment on their first day. Flexible, on-demand grade synchronization capabilities allow educators to control exactly which Revel grades should be transferred to the Blackboard Gradebook.

Print-on-demand functionality after purchase gives students an extra level of support
  • Revel was designed to give students everything they need, all in one integrated digital learning environment. But if students wish to order a print version of their Revel program, they can do so from directly within Revel after purchase for a small fee at any time during the course. We offer this option in order to facilitate successful learning outcomes for students with varied learning styles.

Brief Contents

PART I: FAMILIES AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS: KEY CONCEPTS

  1. Why Study Families and Other Close Relationships?
  2. Social Status: Sex, Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Social Class

PART II: THE FOUNDATIONS OF RELATIONSHIPS

  1. Building Relationships
  2. Love and Loving Relationships
  3. Sexual Identity, Behavior, and Relationships
  4. Communication, Conflict, and Power in Our Relationships
  5. Marriage

PART III: PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN

  1. Thinking about Parenthood
  2. Raising Children
  3. Families and the Work They Do

PART IV: FAMILY STRENGTHS, CHALLENGES, AND REORGANIZATION

  1. Family Stress and Crisis: Violence among Intimates
  2. The Process of Divorce
  3. Family Life, Partnering, and Remarriage after Divorce
  4. Families in Middle and Later Life
  5. Looking Ahead: Helping Families Flourish
Karen Seccombe is a proud community college graduate (Go Citrus!) and a first-generation college student. She is now a professor in the School of Public Health at Portland State University, located in Portland, Oregon. She received her B.A. in sociology at California State University, Chico; her M.S.W. in health and social welfare policy from the University of Washington; and her Ph.D. in sociology from Washington State University. Karen is the author of Social Problems, with W. Kornblum and J. Julian (Pearson); “So You Think I Drive a Cadillac?”: Welfare Recipients’ Perspectives on the System and Its Reform (Pearson); Families and Their Social Worlds (Pearson); Just Don’t Get Sick: Access to Healthcare in the Aftermath of Welfare Reform, with K. A. Hoffman (Rutgers University Press); and Families in Poverty (Pearson). She is a fellow of the National Council on Family Relations, and a member of the American Sociological Association and the Pacific Sociological Association, where she has held elective offices.
Karen lives in the San Juan Islands, located off the northwest coast of Washington with her husband Richard, a health economist, her sixteen-year-old daughter, Natalie Rose, her fourteen-year-old daughter, Olivia Lin, and her two Australian Shepherds, Stella and Bart. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, biking, international travel, and hanging out with her pack. In spring 2017, she taught in the Semester at Sea program, and, along with 550 college students, traveled to Japan, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, and Morocco.

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