The Expanded Family Life Cycle

How does one define the concept of "family"? Is it primarily a biological link, or purely a social construction? Can it be a combination of both? Does it have to be? In this age of single parents, alternative lifestyles, and joint custody, "family" has become a fluid term which reflects a sweeping change in society -- from the rigid structure of the nuclear family to a more diverse and inclusive circle of people that one refers to as Òfamily.Ó In this revision of their classic work in family therapy issues and techniques, the authors propose Òa new and more comprehensive way to think about human development and the life cycle,Ó by widening the perspective of family therapy to include diversity of family forms and lifestyles, as well as cultural diversity. Their expanded view of family includes the impact and issues at multiple levels of the human system: the individual, family households, the extended family, the community, the cultural group, and the larger society. The new edition offers lively and dynamic writing, with contributed chapters by some of the best-known therapists and experts in family therapy. Some issues with expanded focus include race, class, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, spirituality, politics, work, time, community, values, and belief systems. Social workers, psychologists, nurses, and family therapists.