About the Book
Like all complex living systems, a family, during its life course, proceeds through predictable stages of development. Yet every family is different, its uniqueness defined and continually redefined by an open-ended array of structural, biological, and sociocultural variables. And, as with all living things, a family's continued well-being depends upon its ability to adapt to changes arising from both within the family system and without.
First postulated in the 1940s, these basic ideas constitute the conceptual core of modern family development theory. From them has blossomed an impressive body of knowledge about family health and illness, without which much of the progress occurring in family therapy over the past half-century would not have been possible.
This book does much to promote continued progress in the practical application of family development theory by affording family therapists an unparalleled opportunity to acquaint themselves with the most important trends in family development theory to emerge over the past decade.
In it you will find contributions from leading theorists, researchers, and clinicians, arranged so as to provide a systematic treatment of the latest thinking on family development seen from both the systemic viewpoint and that of individual members of the system.
Comprehensive in scope, this book explores the patterns, processes, and dynamics inherent in "traditional" families, as well as in important structural variants such as single-parent and gay and lesbian families and families with special needs and problems, including divorce, physical abuse, and disabilities.
Since progress in the social sciences is as much about formulating viable new ways of seeing as it is about determining quantifiable facts, the editors offer equal time to an array of influential and sometimes radically conflicting schools of thought, including sociobiology, social psychology, constructionism, multiculturalism, postmodernism, and feminism. Mainstream family therapists will find much in this handbook that they will consider controversial. In some cases readers may even be outraged by the views expressed. Yet, thanks to the high caliber of scholarship, intellect, and professionalism evidenced throughout, none of the ideas advanced in Handbook of Family Development and Intervention can be easily dismissed, and all have something of value to offer the thoughtful, dedicated family therapist.
Handbook of Family Development and Intervention is a valuable professional resource for all couples and family therapists. It is also must reading for graduate students in family psychology, family therapy, social work, and counseling.
"In this magnificent volume, the editors make a major contribution that integrates individual and family development concepts and therapeutic applications by bringing together scholarly yet fresh contributions. The inclusion of various family forms and of families with special needs makes this volume especially relevant to the treatment of contemporary families as we enter the new millennium. This superb Handbook should be mandatory reading and an excellent reference for teachers, researchers, and therapists at all levels of development."
—Celia J. Falicov, PhD President, 1999 2001 American Family Therapy Academy
Table of Contents:
THEORIES OF FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
Family Development and Family Therapy
W. Nichols and M. Pace-Nichols
Evolutionary Psychology
W. DeKay
The Limits of Change: Heredity, Temperament, and Family Influences
J. Efran and M. Green
Human Development as a Process of Meaning Making and Reality Construction
D. Becvar
THE LARGER SOCIAL CONTEXT
Socialization of Gender Roles
C. Philpot
The Development of Children and Families of Color: A Supplemental Framework
K. Hardy and T. Loszloffy
Socialization of Socioeconomic Status
M. Rank
FAMILY STAGES, PATTERNS, PROCESSES, AND DYNAMICS
Making a Marriage
A. Napier
Childless Married Couples
W. Nichols and M. Pace-Nichols
Families with Young Children: A Developmental-Family Systems Perspective
N. Kaslow, et al.
The Midlife Family: Dealing with Adolescents, Young Adults, and the Marriage in Transition
E. Berman and A. Napier
Aging and the Family: Dynamics and Therapeutic Interventions
A. Davey, et al.
VARIATIONS IN FAMILY STRUCTURE
Families by Choice: Adoptive and Foster Families
L. Schwartz
Gay and Lesbian Families
J. Bigner
Diversity of New American Families: Guidelines for Therapists
R. Gates, et al.
Single-Parent Families: Dynamics and Treatment Issues
C. Everett and S. Everett
Families Experiencing Divorce
F. Kaslow
FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND PROBLEMS
Remarried Families of 2000: Definitions, Description, and Interventions
R. Berger
Families Experiencing Violence
M. Harway
Families with Learning Disabilities, Physical Disabilities, and Other Childhood Challenges
S. Rigazio-DiGilio and D. Cramer-Benjamin
Families with Chronic Physical Illness
J. Barth
Families Experiencing Death, Dying, and Bereavement
D. Becvar
Index
About the Author :
WILLIAM C. NICHOLS, EdD, is President of the International Family Therapy Association and author of several books on family psychology.
MARY ANNE PACE-NICHOLS, PhD, is a veteran human development and family development teacher and consultant.
DOROTHY S. BECVAR, PhD, is the author of five books on various aspects of family development and intervention.
AUGUSTUS Y. NAPIER, PhD, is an acclaimed family therapist and coauthor of the classic The Family Crucible.
Review :
"A well conceived and worthwhile resource for the family therapy academic or practitioner." (The Family Journal, January 2002)
"The expertise made available by the authors is both broad and deep. All hold clinical as well as scientific credentials. The editors' broad network was an important resource in recruiting authors. Bill Nichols and Mary Anne Pace-Nichols are long time authors, academicians, and leaders in the fields of family studies and MFT. Dorothy Becvar is a well-known leader and author. Gus Napier is near legend among MFT's as a result of the 'Family Crucible'. This group of Editors did an excellent job of organizing the authors' work into a text that fills a large gap in the literature." (Journal of Marriage and Family, Feb 02)
