Summary
Contents
Subject index
The Family Communication Sourcebook provides an in-depth examination of contemporary theory and research in the area of family communication. This unique collection offers a state-of-the art approach by pairing conceptual pieces with original studies in the same general topic area. Editors Lynn H. Turner and Richard West present readers with a thoughtful and thorough exploration of the critical issues facing family communication researchers today.
Diversity's Impact on Defining the Family: Discourse-Dependence and Identity
Diversity's Impact on Defining the Family: Discourse-Dependence and Identity
Contemporary families represent a world of “normative instability and definitional crisis” (Stacey, 1999a, p. 489), making it more difficult for members to keep order in their personal lives and maintain family stability (McCracken, 2004). Although all societies and cultures have webs of kinship relationships, the structures of which change across time and cultures (Garey & Hansen, 1998), U.S. families represent the forefront of familial redefinition due to the multiplicity of changing kinship patterns. As families become increasingly diverse, their definitional processes expand exponentially, rendering their identity highly discourse dependent. Family identity depends, in part, on members' communication with outsiders, as well as with each other, regarding ...
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