Description
Book SynopsisThe institution of the family changed hugely during the course of the twentieth century. In this major new work Göran Therborn provides a global history and sociology of the family as an institution, and of politics within the family.
Trade Review"...a great work of historical intellect and imagination. It is the fruit of a rare combination of gifts. Trained as a sociologist, Therborn is a highly conceptual thinker, allying the formal rigor of his discipline at its best with a command of a vast range of empirical data. The result is a powerful theoretical structure, supported by a fascinating body of evidence. In it, you can find the largest changes in human relations of modern times." - The Nation
'The richness of the data and the text provide a fascinating account of how much, and in some cases how little, family systems have changed over the century, and the pace of the book certainly underlines the pace of these changes. It deserves to become a classic text for students and researchers of families past, present and future.' - Social Policy, Volume 36/2 - 2007
‘The scope of this book is breathtaking. The minute detail of this fine book is absorbing … [it] is a vital resource for anyone interested in its themes, and the global range of its scholarship will ensure a wide and grateful readership for many years.’ – INTAMS
'This is a deeply impressive book by a major sociologist, original and mostly persuasive in its historical analysis and remarkable in its survey of the global marital and sexual scene.' - Eric Hobsbawm, London Review of Books
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Sex, Power, and Families of the World Part 1: Patriarchy and Its Exits - and Closures 1. Modernities and Family Systems: Patriarchy around l900 2. A Long Night´s Journey into Dawn 3. The Patriarchal Burden of the 21st Century Part 2: Marriage and Mutations of the Socio-Sexual Order 4. Sex and Marriage in l900 5. Marital Curvatures of the 20th Century 6. The Return of Cohabitation and the Sexual Revolution Part 3: Couples, Babies, and States 7. Fertility Decline and Political Natalism 8. The Politics and the Sociology of Birth Control List of Tables A Note on Primary Sources References
