The traditional image of the family as a life–long
unit is fading fast. There are fewer marriages, more
divorces, and ever more children born to unmarried or
single parents. The forms of our private life are
changing rapidly, and people are embarking on new
lifestyles based on cohabitation, separation and
same–sex partnerships. In this lively and accessible new
book, Elisabeth Beck–Gernsheim looks at the future of
our lives after the family. Examining the breakdown of
the conventional family unit, she explores the new
choices that are open to individuals, and analyses our
anxiety over the ensuing loss of stability. In
Reinventing the Family, Beck–Gernsheim describes how men
and women are being confronted with competing and often
incompatible demands. Our areas of personal choice have
been redrawn, but in a space that involves new social
regulations and controls. The talk of ′family values′
sits uneasily with the reality of long working–hours,
business trips, weekend seminars and career moves. At
work, we are encouraged to pursue competition, speed and
change; at home we are expected to find community and
conciliation. Beck–Gernsheim examines the impact of
these conflicting expectations on the relationships
between men, women and children, and searches for
possible solutions. Reinventing the Family is an
important and timely contribution to the growing debate
about the family and its future. It will be ideal
reading for students of sociology and gender studies,
but will also appeal to a wide general readership.
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