The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives, 3rd Edition

By: Betty Carter and Monica Mcgoldrick

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Synopsis: 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 family. The authors propose a new and more comprehensive way to think about human development and the life cycle,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. Some issues with expanded focus include race, class, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, spirituality, politics, work, time, community, values, and belief systems.