Abstract
The second edition of Families as They Really Are, edited by Barbara J Risman and Virginia E Rutter, is a strong follow-up to the first edition. The thought-provoking essays, true to the collection’s title, depart from the romanticized myths of an ideal ‘American’ family to showcase everyday lives and realities. As the editors note, ‘we all share a commitment to using research and clinical expertise to enhance the national conversation about what contemporary families need and how these needs can be met’ (p. 2). To this end, the anthology is divided into eight thematic sections exploring a plethora of topics and ideas that showcase contemporary debates as well as the diversity of family life across time and space. Written by experts, scholars, and researchers affiliated with the Council on Contemporary Families (CCF), the essays use an interdisciplinary, intersectional, and comparative perspective. Articles are interspersed with briefing papers (briefs, fact sheets, and symposia) from the CCF as well as news coverage on the topics from major news venues across the United States. The volume comprises 38 chapters, 13 CCF briefs, and 27 news stories. The following paragraphs provide a snapshot of this exciting anthology.
Chapter 1 in Part I tells us how we know what we know about families in America, and sets the tone for the rest of the volume. The collection of chapters emphasizes the importance of empirical research and reminds readers to critically engage with empirical research by questioning the veracity of purported ‘facts’ (Cherlin), to know the difference between causation and correlation (Cowan), and to remember the importance of interviews and ethnographic data when interpreting numbers (Burton).
Part II, ‘How We Got Here,’ provides historical and evolutionary context for the American family. Mintz’s chapter on childhood persuasively argues that childhood might have been tougher to cope with in the past than it is today. Franklin argues that African couples pioneered ‘modern marriage’ by laying the foundation for egalitarian families in which the contribution of both partners is valued to achieve an optimal work–life balance. Part II also explores interracial marriages (Rockquemore and Henderson).
Part III, the longest section and justifiably so, discusses the diversity of families today. An interesting chapter by Blackstone and Greenleaf investigates childless families and documents the process by which pets become part of families. A significant portion of the readings focuses on premarital cohabitation, exploring its newness (Smock and Manning) and its connection to the risk of divorce (Kuperberg). Other contributions focus on issues of aging (CCF brief by Klinenberg, Torres, and Portacolone) and racialized aging (DCentric), interracial marriage (Banks), and the lives of dual earner couples before and after the Great Recession (Davis and Owen). In a much appreciated addition to the conversation on sexuality, Brainer’s work, based on 22 interviews with heterosexual adults with lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) siblings, focuses on navigating relationships with LGB siblings. Moore’s chapter explores negotiations that surround egalitarianism within black lesbian families. She examines ideologies surrounding the division of labor – both paid work and unpaid care work – and its intersections with socioeconomic status.
Part IV focuses on physical and sexual intimacy. Schwartz argues that though sex sells in the American media, and the media is saturated with sex and sexual innuendos, large sections of the American public and policy makers are ‘afraid of sex.’ She explicates the paradox by referring to the concerted move towards abstinence-only education and the prosecution of sex shops as well as contradictory attitudes towards same-sex sexuality. Armstrong, England, and Fogarty turn their attention to the rapidly growing college hook-up scene, discussing its sexual double standards, which affect women more negatively than males. Allison’s CCF brief adds a cautionary twist to the tale of the ‘universal college experience’ by noting ‘place matters,’ i.e., commuter students have significantly fewer opportunities to participate in the college party/hook-up scene than their counterparts in dorms.
Marriage and divorce become the focus of Part V as the authors explore the impact of policy. Avishai, Health, and Randles focus on the ‘marriage movement,’ promoted as a panacea to social issues such as poverty. Williams’s CCF brief outlines that the marriage movement’s major flaw is in assuming all marriages are equally beneficial. The brief is followed by a news story that foregrounds Williams’s conclusions. Coleman and Ganong present a nuanced and realistic picture of stepfamilies, and in the process debunk dominant and conventional stereotypes. Rutter provides a thoughtful investigation of divorce and its effects.
Part VI highlights intergenerational issues and familial negotiations. Coleman’s chapter examines the parenting of adult children, and demolishes the widely held misconception that parenting ends once children grow up and leave home. It is followed by a news story on ‘boomerang kids’ – adult children who return to live with their natal families for financial (unemployment and meager income) and extrafinancial reasons (staving off loneliness after separation or childcare). Garcia depicts Latina daughters’ negotiation of their familial roles with their mothers. Quiroz’s chapter focuses on transnationally adopted children, who she calls the ‘neo-ethnics.’ Dozier focuses on the challenges faced by LGBT parents. Davis explores the dilemmas and struggles of parents of intersex children. Backed by persuasive evidence, she argues that ‘parents are pawns’ who have often been misled by the medical community into consenting to medically unnecessary interventions.
Part VII discusses structural inequalities and their corresponding impact on families. Immigration policies dominate the lens. Aldarondo and Ameen depict the struggles of immigrant families as they assimilate into the American mainstream; Banerjee’s chapter examines ‘dependent’ visas. Although the majority of the extant scholarship has depicted females as dependent visa holders, Banerjee examines the familial workings when males become dependent visa holders. In different chapters, Furstenberg and Lareau each examine the impact of social class on childrearing.
Finally, the concluding section, Part VIII, is dedicated to taking stock of the ‘gender revolution,’ in particular the changes that have taken place on its account and their impact on women’s and men’s lives within families. The issues discussed examine the impact it has had on children – whereas girls have benefited from the changes by being able to move out of the narrow gender expectations of femininity, boys continue to feel pressured to walk the thin line of gender expectations (Risman and Seale). Sullivan provides conclusive evidence that men have increased their share of household chores. Gerson examines the changes in the lives of young adults as they balance work and life. It is interesting that she finds that though both males and females support and aspire to egalitarian family life, they follow different paths when that option is not feasible. Whereas females prioritize economic independence over traditional family roles, males opt for a ‘neo-traditional’ family set-up in which they insist that their role as breadwinner is primary and takes precedence over their wife’s job. Myers and Demantas explore the relationship of couples where the male is not the breadwinner.
As is obvious from the chapters discussed in the previous paragraphs, the strengths of this compilation are many. It is a noteworthy addition to intersectional perspectives on families, and it pays meticulous attention to race, class, gender, sexuality, and immigration. Furthermore, the essays have been written in an engaging fashion, and they will be accessible to a vast majority of readers, without compromising on intellectual rigor. As a result, this book will serve well for courses on the family at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and it will be an equally good resource for those who might just be curious and wanting to know more. Written by a diverse set of contributors ranging from academics to clinical experts, it is a perfect example of bridging the gap between the ivory tower and clinical practitioners. This particular strength makes it an attractive reference for journalists and policy makers. Risman and Rutter claim that ‘our goal is to bring cutting-edge research and clinical expertise to all Americans so that people understand their lives and the lives of those around them fully,’ and they have been very successful in doing just that.