About the Book

This special volume is devoted to the synthesis and review of theoretical and conceptual approaches associated with familial and non-familial connections across the life span. An important book as society “returns to the family,” it compares and contrasts different disciplinary perspectives associated with intergenerational relationships. Because intergenerational relationships have been the focus of research in many disciplines, various perspectives have emerged about kin and non-kin connections. Renewed interest in families and familial connections is due largely to events and situations occurring in complex, modernized societies which place the intergenerational nexus on center stage. The leading researchers represented in this outstanding book provide rare opportunity for the scholarly comparison of the various perspectives in the broader spectrum of family relations.

Families: Intergenerational and Generational Connecting is a significant addition to the body of research on family connections. The three major areas of generational and intergenerational connections include theoretical and conceptual perspectives, connections within the family, and connections outside the family. As the use of families as support networks for individual members increases, this timely book will be an invaluable aid to educators, students, and researchers concerned about families and familial and non-familial relationships. Counselors and therapists will value this enlightening book with its diverse theoretical and conceptual perspectives on kinship, intergenerational solidarity and relations, social supports, and cross-national perspectives on family connections.