Search results for """ "We Are Family""

Book SynopsisAn insight into new ways of becoming a parent by a world-leading expert. Families come in all shapes and sizes: from the nuclear two-parent two-child unit to gay families, trans families, single parents, and babies conceived using donor eggs, sperm, or embryos, or carried by a surrogate. An expert in family relationships, Professor Susan Golombok has seen it all. In We Are Family, she looks at how different parenting set-ups can thrive, and asks the crucial question: what really makes a family?Trade Review‘In this important and compelling book, Professor Susan Golombok gives evidence that the expansion of domestic structures represents not the downfall of family, but the expansion of it to include previously unfathomed, rich possibilities. She explains the new ways people find to reproduce and to be parents, examines how the changes evolved over the last forty years or so, and illuminates the workings of previously undocumented kinds of households. In doing so, she supplies fresh and exquisite narratives of intimacy; this is, at heart, a book about love.’ -- Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree‘This inspiring book by Professor Susan Golombok is a rebuff to people who reject diverse families with unfounded claims that they harm children. She tells the personal stories of children brought up by lesbian mothers, gay fathers, single parents, co-parents, and trans parents; showing that they are equally well-adjusted, happy and emotionally stable as children from traditional mum and dad families. Golombok refutes fear and prejudice with evidence and facts. Bravo!’ -- Peter Tatchell‘Brilliant ... Professor Golombok takes you on a powerful journey in this moving account of her tireless work with LGBTQ+ and other families.’ -- April Guasp, Head of Research, Stonewall‘This book explores what really fosters healthy relationships within families … a quick, pleasurable read.’ -- Haley Zilberg * Farrago *‘In this compelling book Susan Golombok draws on decades of research into lesbian mothers, IVF families, gay father families, single-mother families, and trans families to measure the impact on children of these non-traditional family forms.’ -- Fiona Capp * The Age *‘In We Are Family, Susan Golombok, a world leader in studying and understanding these new types of families, vividly draws on decades of experience to convey their lives and the dilemmas they face. This moving and timely book will surely benefit many people, wonderfully illustrating how these diverse types of parents are creating healthy and loving families.’ -- Dr Robert Klitzman, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, and author of Designing Babies‘Research driven and wide ranging in scope, this newest book by Golombok details nontraditional family structures and explores why transforming our collective understanding of families matters for us all. … Golombok reworks domestic narratives to show the family as a structure with plasticity enough to encompass relationships divested from rigid or fixed categories of gender and sexuality and that "children can flourish in all kinds of new family forms." … An essential, thought-provoking work that will serve as the foundation for future studies.’ STARRED REVIEW -- Emily Bowles * Library Journal *Praise for Modern Families: ‘Modern Families is a landmark publication, a succinct state-of-the-art review, and is highly relevant reading for researchers in developmental psychology or family studies and for students in these fields. Policymakers, and indeed parents or want-to-be parents of children brought up in de novo or planned lesbian or gay families, will also want to read this rich and inspiring book.’ -- Fiona Tasker and Victor Figueroa * Journal of GLBT Family Studies *Praise for Modern Families: ‘For years, a basic premise was that the more a family deviated from the traditional, two-parent, heterosexual family, the more the child’s psychological well-being was in jeopardy. Golombok addresses a more elemental question by asking how the parenting children in new families experience actually differs from that found in traditional families. Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals, [and] general readers.’ * Choice *Praise for Modern Families: ‘This book would be most beneficial to any professional working systemically or for any professional working with more contemporary family form to better understand how that family form works in order to parent well and to be aware of where potential conflicts may arise.’ * The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health *

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Book SynopsisAll families are different - and yet in many ways the same! This book uses a gentle rhyming text to follow eight different families, celebrating their everyday differences as well as the similarities they share.

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Book SynopsisThis engaging picture book celebrates the uniqueness and diversity of families—and no matter how different they may seem, the love that is shared is all the same. Every family is unique and special. Some families are made up of many people, and some are much smaller. Sometimes family members look like each other, and sometimes they don’t! From busy mornings before school to special times spent together, families engage in many similar activities. This engaging picture book celebrates the diversity of families around the world and explores the ways that family members support each other through good times and bad. Families may look different, but the love that is shared is all the same.

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Book SynopsisKids have big dreams. And when those dreams are on the line, how far are they willing to go to achieve them?When Jayden and his teammates find out there?s not going to be a Hoop Group this year?and maybe ever again?they have to learn to lean on each other if they want to save their basketball season, in this inspiring new middle grade novel from NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams. A New York Times bestseller!Jayden Carr has been training all summer to be ready for Hoop Group?the free afterschool basketball program where his hero, NBA superstar Kendrick King, got his start. But when his beloved coach tells him there?s not going to be a Hoop Group this year, Jayden is heartbroken.And he?s not the only one. Coach Beck?s daughter, Tamika, was planning to be the first girl ever to start for the squad. Chris King, Kendrick?s only nephew, spent the summer bragging that his uncle was coming home just to watch him play. For Anthony Pierson, Hoop Group was supposed to be his way out of trouble. And for Dexter Donyel, all 4?6? of him, Hoop Group was his chance to finally be part of a team, instead of just watching from the stands.For each kid, Hoop Group was more than just a chance to ball; it was an escape, a dream, a family. Now their prospects seem all but impossible?but then the world hasn?t met Jayden, Tamika, Chris, Anthony, and Dex before. Determined to have their shot, the five new friends scrap, hustle, fight, and play hard to save their season to prove that sometimes a chance is all it takes.It?s an inspiring, original middle grade story from NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams that channels the many relatable challenges so many young kids face.The first step to winning is getting out on the court.

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Book SynopsisKids have big dreams. And when those dreams are on the line, how far are they willing to go to achieve them?When Jayden and his teammates find out there?s not going to be a Hoop Group this year?and maybe ever again?they have to learn to lean on each other if they want to save their basketball season, in this inspiring new middle grade novel from NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams. A New York Times bestseller!Jayden Carr has been training all summer to be ready for Hoop Group?the free afterschool basketball program where his hero, NBA superstar Kendrick King, got his start. But when his beloved coach tells him there?s not going to be a Hoop Group this year, Jayden is heartbroken.And he?s not the only one. Coach Beck?s daughter, Tamika, was planning to be the first girl ever to start for the squad. Chris King, Kendrick?s only nephew, spent the summer bragging that his uncle was coming home just to watch him play. For Anthony Pierson, Hoop Group was supposed to be his way out of trouble. And for Dexter Donyel, all 4?6? of him, Hoop Group was his chance to finally be part of a team, instead of just watching from the stands.For each kid, Hoop Group was more than just a chance to ball; it was an escape, a dream, a family. Now their prospects seem all but impossible?but then the world hasn?t met Jayden, Tamika, Chris, Anthony, and Dex before. Determined to have their shot, the five new friends scrap, hustle, fight, and play hard to save their season to prove that sometimes a chance is all it takes.It?s an inspiring, original middle grade story from NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams that channels the many relatable challenges so many young kids face.The first step to winning is getting out on the court.

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Book SynopsisMeet six kids and their amazing, single super-Dad

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Book SynopsisFrom No. 1 bestselling author Beth Moran comes a story about family, friends and facing your fears.Thirty-three-year-old Ruth Henderson and her daughter Maggie have some hard choices to make. Following the tragic death of Maggie’s father, they are left with a mountain of debt and broken hearts. So, despite her vow never to return home after the fall-out from her teenage pregnancy, Ruth can’t see any option other than for the two of them to move back in with her parents.Going home means many things – finally confronting her estranged father, navigating her mother’s desperate need to make everything ok despite the wobbles in her own marriage, not to mention helping a still-grieving Maggie to settle into a new school, find new friends, and stop expressing her emotions through her ever-changing hair colour.What Ruth needs are friends, but she abandoned her childhood ones when she left all those years ago. Luckily for Ruth, they haven’t abandoned her. Slowly she lets herself be embraced by a group of women who have always had her back – even when she didn’t know it. And as the grief and shock recede, Ruth can even begin to imagine sharing her life with someone other than just Maggie – if Maggie will let her.No. 1 bestselling author Beth Moran writes worlds you want to live in, characters you want as friends, and heart-warming stories it’s impossible not to fall in love with. Perfect for all fans of Jill Mansell, Julie Houston, and Jenny Colgan.This novel was first published as I Hope You Dance.'Beth Moran's heartwarming books never fail to leave me feeling uplifted' Jessica RedlandWhat readers say about Beth Moran:‘This book basically has everything - I laughed a lot, I cried, I wanted the characters to be my actual friends! Not many authors have the power that Beth Moran seems to have for building a gorgeous community inside your head that feels so real that you want to pounce through your book and live in it.’ ‘I absolutely adore Beth Moran novels and I sink into each one and devour it until every last word is digested.’‘Beth Moran is a brilliant romcom writer with an ability to write really moving prose that has the power to reduce the reader to tears at times. This book is no exception. Top notch. Highly recommended.’‘I really enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it, especially if you want a read that's cosy but with depth and emotion.’‘If you’re a fan of characters that you can’t help but love and a feel good story, then this is definitely a book for you.’Praise for Beth Moran:'Let it Snow is so uplifting. It's cleverly written, witty and smart. A winner!' USA Today Bestseller, Judy Leigh‘Life-affirming, joyful and tender.’ Zoe Folbigg * 'Every day is a perfect day to read this.’ *Shari Low

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Book SynopsisMeet all your favorite L.O.L. Surprise! families in this a Step 3 Step into Reading reader!Meet all of your favorite L.O.L. Surprise! families in this Step 3 Step into Reading leveled reader which is perfect for children ages 5 to 8. Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own.     In a world where babies run everything, little Rockers rebel against nap time and Teacher's Pets become class presidents with Free Pizza Fridays! In the L.O.L. Surprise! world, all work is play and nothing is dull cuz it's all a lil' surprising and outrageous!    Step 3 Readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own.

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Book SynopsisWhy LGBTQ adults don't end troubled ties with parents and why (perhaps) they shouldFamilies We Keep is a surprising look at the life-long bonds between LGBTQ adults and their parents. Alongside the importance of chosen families in the queer community, Rin Reczek and Emma Bosley-Smith found that very few LGBTQ people choose to become estranged from their parents, even if those parent refuse to support their gender identity, sexuality, or both. Drawing on interviews with over seventy-five LGBTQ people and their parents, Reczek and Bosley-Smith explore the powerful ties that bind families together, for better or worse. They show us why many feel obliged to maintain even troubledand sometimes outright toxicrelationships with their parents. They argue that this relationship persists because what we think of as the natural and inevitable connection between parents and adult children is actually created and sustained by the sociocultural power of compulsory kinshiTrade Review"In this bold reconsideration of kinship, Families We Keep bravely asks a question that most people dare not ask: why do so many of us stay in toxic relationships with our parents when we could, at least theoretically, sever ties and walk away? Through interviews with LGBTQ adults struggling to sustain connection to their homophobic parents, Reczek and Bosley-Smith point to the difficult truth that lifelong parent-child relationships are so revered in the broader culture that many of us are coerced into keeping them--even when they cause us suffering. By exposing the false promise of cultural myths about the unconditional and irreplaceable love forged by blood connection, Families We Keep issues a powerful warning against investing too much labor, or hope, in relationships that cause us harm." -- Jane Ward, author of Not Gay and The Tragedy of Heterosexuality"Contrary to news stories about adult children callously estranging themselves from parents, this book reveals how GLBTQ individuals put up with disapproval, rejection, and even abuse in their effort to maintain family ties. Why do they persist, the authors ask, and at what point does such filial commitment become self-destructive? " -- Stephanie Coontz, author of The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap"Three decades after Families We Choose showed that "ties that bind" are not to be taken for granted, Families We Keep offers a nuanced account of what happens when LGBTQ+ people decide to stick with their parents, even in the face of misunderstanding. Reczek and Bosley-Smith are careful not to romanticize these enduring solidarities. It takes hard work to work through conflict, in ways profoundly shaped by race and gender. Social compulsion intertwines poignantly with qualities more conventionally considered virtues, such as patience and respect for the uniqueness of relationships that find no counterpart elsewhere. At a time when so much research focuses on loss, breakdown, and disruption, this book makes a compelling case for why relationships that persist merit much closer inspection." * Kath Weston, author of Families We Choose: Lesbians, Gays, Kinship *"This remarkable book probes the complexities of relationships between adult LGBTQ people and their families of origin, particularly their parents. The qualitative analyses are rich, and the personal stories and discoveries folks share as they navigate these important adult relationships are moving. Families We Keep offers insights that are compelling and relatable to people with a variety of identities and structural locations in society. It brings a fresh new vantage point from which to study familial relationships, sexualities and gender expression." -- Mignon R. Moore, author of Invisible Families: Gay Identities, Relationships, and Motherhood Among Black Women

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Book SynopsisWhy LGBTQ adults don't end troubled ties with parents and why (perhaps) they shouldFamilies We Keep is a surprising look at the life-long bonds between LGBTQ adults and their parents. Alongside the importance of chosen families in the queer community, Rin Reczek and Emma Bosley-Smith found that very few LGBTQ people choose to become estranged from their parents, even if those parent refuse to support their gender identity, sexuality, or both. Drawing on interviews with over seventy-five LGBTQ people and their parents, Reczek and Bosley-Smith explore the powerful ties that bind families together, for better or worse. They show us why many feel obliged to maintain even troubledand sometimes outright toxicrelationships with their parents. They argue that this relationship persists because what we think of as the natural and inevitable connection between parents and adult children is actually created and sustained by the sociocultural power of compulsory kinship. After revealing what holdsTrade ReviewIn this bold reconsideration of kinship, Families We Keep bravely asks a question that most people dare not ask: why do so many of us stay in toxic relationships with our parents when we could, at least theoretically, sever ties and walk away? Through interviews with LGBTQ adults struggling to sustain connection to their homophobic parents, Reczek and Bosley-Smith point to the difficult truth that lifelong parent-child relationships are so revered in the broader culture that many of us are coerced into keeping them--even when they cause us suffering. By exposing the false promise of cultural myths about the unconditional and irreplaceable love forged by blood connection, Families We Keep issues a powerful warning against investing too much labor, or hope, in relationships that cause us harm. -- Jane Ward, author of Not Gay and The Tragedy of HeterosexualityContrary to news stories about adult children callously estranging themselves from parents, this book reveals how GLBTQ individuals put up with disapproval, rejection, and even abuse in their effort to maintain family ties. Why do they persist, the authors ask, and at what point does such filial commitment become self-destructive? -- Stephanie Coontz, author of The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia TrapThree decades after Families We Choose showed that "ties that bind" are not to be taken for granted, Families We Keep offers a nuanced account of what happens when LGBTQ+ people decide to stick with their parents, even in the face of misunderstanding. Reczek and Bosley-Smith are careful not to romanticize these enduring solidarities. It takes hard work to work through conflict, in ways profoundly shaped by race and gender. Social compulsion intertwines poignantly with qualities more conventionally considered virtues, such as patience and respect for the uniqueness of relationships that find no counterpart elsewhere. At a time when so much research focuses on loss, breakdown, and disruption, this book makes a compelling case for why relationships that persist merit much closer inspection. * Kath Weston, author of Families We Choose: Lesbians, Gays, Kinship *This remarkable book probes the complexities of relationships between adult LGBTQ people and their families of origin, particularly their parents. The qualitative analyses are rich, and the personal stories and discoveries folks share as they navigate these important adult relationships are moving. Families We Keep offers insights that are compelling and relatable to people with a variety of identities and structural locations in society. It brings a fresh new vantage point from which to study familial relationships, sexualities and gender expression. -- Mignon R. Moore, author of Invisible Families: Gay Identities, Relationships, and Motherhood Among Black Women

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Book SynopsisThis classic text, originally published in 1991 and now revised and updated to include a new preface, draws upon fieldwork and interviews to explore the ways gay men and lesbians are constructing their own notions of kinship by drawing on the symbolism of love, friendship, and biology.Trade ReviewGraceful... Valuable for the ways it demonstrates that, like race, gender and sexual identity, the meaning of kinship is culturally relative--and susceptible to change. The Women's Review of Books The first to analyze the historical conditions, social meaning, and political implications of lesbians and gays' appropriating the language of kinship...A fine book. Contemporary Sociology Represents a new direction in lesbian and gay studies and in the anthropology of American culture. SIGNS: Journal of Women in Culture and Society This book demands--and deserves--thorough and careful reading...A well-documented work for gay studies collections. Library Journal Weighs in as an important contribution to current debates about family and family values. American Journal of SociologyTable of ContentsPreface to the Paperback Edition Acknowledgments 1.The Monkey Cage and the Red Desoto 2. Exiles from Kinship Is Straight to Gay as Family Is to No Family? Deck the Halls Kinship and Procreation From Biology to Choice 3. Coming Out to "Blood" Relatives Disclosing Sexual Identity Categorical Understandings (Or, It's All Relative) Family-Which Family? Conditional Love Discursive Locations Taking Identity, Talking Kinship Selection and Rejection 4. Kinship and Coherence: Ten Stories 5. Families We Choose Building Gay Families Substitute for Biological Family? Friends and Lovers From Friendship to Community Deliberating Difference 6. Lovers Through the Looking Glass The Looking-Glass Other Power "Differentials," Relationship "Roles" The Urge to Merge Narcissism, Kinship, and Class Convictions Couples Versus Community Reflections on Metaphor 7. Parenting in the Age of AIDS The Lesbian Mother as Icon Male-Female Revisited: Insemination and AIDS Of Death and Birth Blood Relatives Respond Parents and Persons 8. The Politics of Gay Families Assimilation or Transformation? Common Ground The Big Picture Reengineering Biogenetics Appendix Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2022 Memoir Prize for Books - Caregiving category​ESS Public Sociology Award​Recommended Book in Domestic Violence by DomesticShelters.org How do you go about caregiving for an ill and elderly parent with a lifelong history of abuse and control, intertwined with expressions of intense love and adoration? How do you reconcile the resulting ambivalence, fear, and anger? Welcome to Wherever We Are is a meditation on what we hold onto, what we let go of, how we remember others and ultimately how we’re remembered. Deborah Cohan shares her story of caring for her father, a man who was simultaneously loud, gentle, loving and cruel and whose brilliant career as an advertising executive included creating slogans like “Hey, how ‘bout a nice Hawaiian punch?” Wrestling with emotional extremes that characterize abusive relationships, Cohan shows how she navigated life with a man who was at once generous and affectionate, creating magical coat pockets filled with chocolate kisses when she was a little girl, yet who was also prone to searing, vicious remarks like “You’d make my life easier if you’d commit suicide.” In this gripping memoir, Cohan tells her unique personal story while also weaving in her expertise as a sociologist and domestic abuse counselor to address broader questions related to marriage, violence, divorce, only children, intimacy and loss. A story most of us can relate to as we reckon with past and future choices against the backdrop of complicated family dynamics, Welcome to Wherever We Are is about how we might come to live our own lives better amidst unpredictable changes through grief and healing.Questions for Discussion (https://d3tto5i5w9ogdd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/11140346/Cohan_Discussion.docx) Trade Review“With scrupulous honesty, and what Deborah so beautifully calls “tender curiosity,” this is a journey toward reconciliation with the ambivalence she felt towards an emotionally abusive father. She winds up with love. Her memoir is an inspiration.” -- Abigail Thomas * author of What Comes Next and How to Like It: A Memoir and A Three Dog Life *“Cohan’s beautifully-nuanced book is an important addition to a distinctly American strain of memoir that seeks to fully explore family dynamics with all of its complications, glories, travails, and facing of mortality. This is a slice of life that is both wide and deep.” -- Sue William Silverman * author of Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You *“Welcome to Wherever We Are is a memoir of a difficult family, a relationship between a father and a daughter. It involves abuse, dislike, love and a great deal of caring. It is a memoir, but one guided by the sociological lens of writer Deborah Cohan. She offers us a personal story set in the context of complicated family relationships in contemporary American society.” -- Barbara J. Risman * co-editor of Families as They Really Are *"Are we doing enough to protect children from predators?" by Gracie Bonds Staples: https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/are-doing-enough-protect-children-from-predators/yOPwPpYM1VLO0dnWpGwFML/ * Atlanta Journal-Constitution *"How to Remodel Your Home With Your Significant Other—Without Arguing Even Once," by Kelsey Mulvey: https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/home-improvement/renovations/home-remodeling-couple * Real Simple *"Love the sinner, hate the sin: thus, unfurls Cohan's memoir. Fractional love and uncomfortable rage toward her father blend with her longing for his abusive behavior to disappear and leave only the often extraordinary father. Cohan's crystalline honest prose brings the reader inside the dilemma of caring for an aging parent who brought her torment laced with love and magic--what is it like to adore, fear, and protect yourself from the father you feared and cherished?" -- Randy Susan Meyers * author of The Murderer’s Daughters and Waisted *"An Open Letter to College Students about the Heartbeat Bill: Notes from a College Professor on Abortion" by Deborah J. Cohan, Ph.D.: https://medium.com/@debjcoh/an-open-letter-to-college-students-about-the-heartbeat-bill-notes-from-a-college-professor-on-63effdcabdb6 * Medium *"Deborah Cohan has written a brave and beautiful memoir….not ‘beautiful’ in the sense of pretty or lovely or sugarcoated in any way. Beautifully written, yes, but also beautiful in its raw, graphic honesty—that is, in the sense that truth is beauty. There is much hard-won wisdom in these pages--wisdom gleaned from Cohan’s years of caregiving for an abusive parent--and it will benefit those who find themselves navigating that rocky terrain. But this is also a story about life and death, love and loss, and the complicated nature of family and relationship. Which makes Welcome to Wherever We Are a universal story, one with wisdom for us all." -- Abby Seixas * author of Finding the Deep River Within *"How to Support an Employee Coming Out at Work," by Skye Schooley https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15141-employee-coming-out.html * Business News Daily *"The Society Pages 3Q with Deborah J. Cohan" https://thesocietypages.org/ccf/2019/08/06/3q-with-deborah-j-cohan/ * The Society Pages *"There Has to Be a Better Way," by Deborah J. Cohan https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2019/08/21/diversity-and-antiharassment-trainings-must-be-improved-opinion * Inside Higher Education *"The Most Anticipated Memoirs of 2020" by Stephanie Elliot https://shereads.com/most-anticipated-memoirs-of-2020/ * She Reads *"How to Write a Lot on a Heavy Teaching Load" by Deborah J. Cohan https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2019/12/05/how-write-more-regularly-and-publish-more-often-despite-having-heavy-teaching-load * Inside Higher Education *Mention of Welcome to Wherever We Are in the November 2019 issue of Active for Life http://scottvilleareaseniorcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/November-2019-Working-Copy.pdf * Active for Life (Mason County, MI) *"Author Deborah J. Cohan: 'How To Connect With Yourself To Live With Better Relationships'" by Kristin Marquet https://medium.com/authority-magazine/author-deborah-j-cohan-how-to-connect-with-yourself-to-live-with-better-relationships-9113bf69603a * Authority Magazine *"Cohan tells her personal journey while weaving in her expertise as a sociologist and domestic abuse counselor to address broader questions related to marriage, violence, divorce, only children, intimacy and loss. Most people deal with at least one of these issues. The book explores how people could live better amidst unpredictable changes through grief and healing." * Cleveland Jewish News *"In this engrossing memoir, sociologist Deborah Cohan candidly describes her struggle caring for her aging father, who, as she was growing up, was at once kind and cruel. Undoubtedly, readers will be able to relate to Cohan’s explorations into the complexities of family, evolving relationships, and complicated emotions." * Ms. Magazine *"#GirlDad a nice sentiment but might come with mixed emotions" by Gracie Bonds Staples https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/girldad-nice-sentiment-but-might-come-with-mixed-emotions/sSVEg8lX35QBA8FNsWjU0N/ * Atlanta Journal Constitution *"Author and Shaker Heights native Deborah J. Cohan to discuss her new book, 'Welcome to Wherever We Are'" by Roxanne Washington https://www.cleveland.com/living/2020/02/author-and-shaker-heights-native-deborah-j-cohan-to-discuss-her-new-book-welcome-to-wherever-we-are.html * Cleveland Plain Dealer *"Phone Calls: An Excerpt From Welcome To Wherever We Are by Deborah J. Cohan" https://www.ravishly.com/phone-calls-excerpt-welcome-wherever-we-are * Ravishly *"Cohan’s father was a story of opposites – abusive and controlling and also at times gentle and loving. When he gets sick and she must take care of him, she’s unsure how to manage her emotions. She must let go of her anger in order to help her father and to come to terms with her own grief to begin to heal." * She Reads *"Welcome to Wherever We Are is a brave memoir that sheds light on the challenges of caring for an abusive parent. This volume is bound to offer solace and support to those in similar situations. Deborah J. Cohan’s honesty and compassion make this a unique and valuable memoir for anyone who has survived abuse by a parent and struggles to make sense of the conflicting feelings of love and responsibility as well as anger and resentment toward their abuser." * Ms. Magazine *"Column: What if the elderly parent you’re caring for abused you as a child? New memoir explores a timely, complicated subject" by Heidi Stevens https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/heidi-stevens/ct-heidi-stevens-coronavirus-welcome-to-wherever-we-are-book-0331-20200331-hfnbmefz7jdffavxle5tpu6j7i-story.html? * Chicago Tribune *"This memoir of caretaking unspools so many of the complicated emotions wrapped up in helping a parent as they die. Writing about taking care of her father, Deborah J. Cohan details the realities of what it means to get sick and the toll it takes on the people around the ill person. A compassionate narrative, the book shows us how life doesn’t stop when we are providing care to sick loved ones — it only gets trickier." * Buzzfeed *"Both Sides of the Truth" by Deborah J. Cohan https://www.brandeis.edu/magazine/2020/summer/turning-points.html * Brandeis Magazine *"A Memoir Of Family, Caregiving and Redemption: 'Some Things Can Be Deleted, Just Often Not The Memory" by Deborah J. Cohan * Ms. Magazine *"In this gripping memoir, Cohan tells her unique personal story while also weaving in her expertise as a sociologist and domestic abuse counselor to address broader questions related to marriage, violence, divorce, only children, intimacy, and loss." * The Ohioana *"Cohan writes poetically about the love we share with others, even those who harm us. Yet, she never sees herself as a victim, rather, Cohan finds the courage to allow herself to be vulnerable, to break, and to find her way into strength and resilience. Her experiences evoke in her a deep compassion for others....As a public sociologist and former domestic abuse counselor, Cohan makes potent links between sociology and memoir. She draws parallels between memoir writing and qualitative research methods, specifically case studies." * Sociological Forum *"At the heart of this book is Cohan’s self-awareness that her father’s love and abuse were intertwined and her ongoing recovery from that confusing simultaneity led her to write this book. It is a rare author who can artfully write a memoir that is both personal and a deep sociological analysis of family and identity. This book is applicable to any sociology or psychology course yet will also appeal to memoir writers and readers who want an example of a compassionate treatment of a life that includes love, abuse, and ongoing recovery." * Psychology of Women Quarterly *“Welcome to Wherever We Are is the perfect illustration of the whole spectrum of intergenerational solidarity, conflict, and ambiguity within family relationships and ties during both life and death.” -- Sarah E. Patterson * Contexts *"In sum, Welcome to Wherever We Are centers the personal—the inner conflict that Cohan had with wanting to provide good care, be a good daughter, and still love an abusive father through continued abuse. It is a book about the contradictions in relationships, in care, and in abuse. While it significantly adds to the research on caregiving and family violence, it does not do so from a distance but breaks down the barriers between academic literature and our own personal experiences by weaving together intimate personal stories grounded in the larger social context. It is up close, personal, emotional, and messy." -- Christina Barmon * Association for Anthropology, Gerontology and the Life Course *Table of ContentsIntroduction Phone Calls The Diaries Messages Accidents Sugar The Dinner Table The Kaleidoscope Medical Records The Gold Pen The Volunteer Random Acts of Kindness Death Notice Obituary Ashes Birthday Letter Re-learning to Fly The Birth(day) Ring Worry Machine Change of Address Epilogue Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisA FAMILY CARD GAME featuring contemporary non-traditional family structures such as same-sex parents, childfree couples, grandparent families and many more. Simple gameplay is quick and easy to learnCELEBRATE DIFFERENCE, and discuss all kinds of family types with children aged 4+INCLUDES A BOOKLET with the rules of the game and the stories behind the families featuredSTURDY & ATTRACTIVE BOX perfect for giftingFamilies come in all shapes and sizes: if you love each other, you're a family! Celebrate non-traditional families and learn to discuss difference from a young age with this fun and modern take on the classic happy families card game, for two or more players aged 4+.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive edition of the classic, myth-shattering history of the American familyTrade ReviewLos Angeles Times "A treasure... Coontz's ample evidence exposes the falseness, sentimentality and self-righteousness of most public statements about the family." New York Times Book Review "Often brilliant and invariably provocative." Minneapolis Star Tribune "[The Way We Never Were is] one of the few books I've carried with me through years and moves -- because it's a welcome and hopeful reminder that families always have faced, and overcome, transitions and challenges. In the revised book, Coontz offers an equally honest and upbeat review of the way things really are, despite dire predictions of a culture in crisis." Entertainment Weekly "Coontz reminds us that the 'good old days' were never quite that in her excellent history of the American family." The Oklahoman "David West is getting close to finishing another book. That's not some sort of metaphor. The NBA veteran is a voracious reader, almost always carrying his latest book on a team plane or his electronic tablet into the locker room. For the past few weeks, he's been immersed in a book by social historian Stephanie Coontz. It's called The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap. The book is about shattering myths. So is David West." Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World "[Coontz] approaches the subject of what we now insist up on calling 'family values' with what is, in the current atmosphere, a refreshing lack of partisan cant." The National Memo "Stephanie Coontz's 1992 book was a work of first-rate history, and it undermined a slew of common misperceptions of family life in America, but it was also a plea to take off the rose-colored glasses that cause us to get so many political issues wrong. Fittingly, Coontz's publisher, Basic Books, has released a revised edition just as the moralizing we've come to expect from presidential campaigns kicks into overdrive." The Society Pages "The latest edition of Stephanie Coontz's The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap is an essential read for policymakers... Coontz's book makes for an absorbing, sometimes shocking, often wryly funny read. Both comprehensive and comprehensible, it's a veritable one-stop shop for reliable research on how public policy and culture affect families." Linda Burton, Dean of Social Sciences and James B. Duke Professor of Sociology, Duke University "There is no better commentary on the status and processes of American families than The Way We Never Were. Stephanie Coontz writes about the realities of family life in an uncompromising way that integrates evidence-based research with the souls and everyday lives of kin within and across generations and across time and space. In my family sociology courses a spontaneous awakening occurs for students who read this book for the first time. They never look at families the same way, which is a game changer as they consider family life in their futures and question the meaning of families in their present lives. Stephanie Coontz has given the field a true gift that guides us in a journey of understanding the evolution of family life in real time and under real circumstances. Illuminating, provocative, and a must read for all!" Paula England, 2015-15 President, American Sociological Association "Stephanie Coontz has her finger on the pulse of contemporary families like no one else in America. In this book, she busts numerous myths about families in the past and clearly explains what is going on in today's families." William H. Chafe, Alice Mary Baldwin Professor of History, Duke University, the former president, Organization of American Historians "More than twenty years ago, in The Way We Never Were, Stephanie Coontz cut through all the bizarre stereotypes we carry with us about marriage and the family in America. Now, in a brilliant revision, she jolts us once again by bringing us up to date on when people marry, how income inequality affects family life, and why we have made so much progress on issues of gay marriage, and so little on issues of poverty and women's reproductive rights. A terrific read with amazing new information!" Newsday "Coontz presents fascinating facts and figures that explode the cherished myths about self-sufficient, happy, moral families." The Nation "Historically rich, and loaded with anecdotal evidence, The Way We Never Were effectively demolishes the normal, traditional nuclear family as neither normal nor traditional, and not even nuclear." Publishers Weekly "A wonderfully perceptive, myth-debunking report... An important contribution to the current debate on family values." Kirkus "Clear, incisive, and distinguished by Coontz's personal conviction and by its vast range of cogent examples, including capsule histories of women in the labor force and of black families. Fascinating, persuasive, politically relevant." Frank Furstenberg, Zellerbach Family Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania "This small book has had an outsized influence on the way social scientists think about the recent history of the American family. It remains the starting point for anyone who hopes to understand how contemporary family life came about and where we may be headed in the future." Romper "If you've ever questioned whether the 'Good Old Days' were really all that good, The Way We Never Were is worth a read. [Coontz] puts 'traditional family values' in a historical context and examines whether or not the idea was realistic. It will make you glad we don't have to vacuum in heels anymore." Spiked Review of Books (UK) "The Way We Never Were was such a great achievement and an important step forward. It provided a much-needed corrective to the romanticised view of the 1950s family, and began to defuse some of the more hysterical and fatalistic discussions about teen pregnancy and the underclass...A new epilogue takes a stab at addressing some of today's mistaken assumptions about the family. It all makes for a work that continues to provide plenty of food for thought." Ellen Galinsky, President, Families and Work Institute "Stephanie Coontz is a national treasure. Her work, always solidly grounded in the best and most comprehensive research, is consistently groundbreaking. She changes the way we understand the past, present, and the future. What's more, her new paradigms change the way we live and work!"Table of ContentsIntroduction to the 2016 Edition 1. The Way We Wish We Were: Defining the Family Crisis 2. "Leave It to Beaver" and "Ozzie and Harriet": American Families in the 1950s 3. "My Mother Was a Saint": Individualism, Gender Myths, and the Problem of Love 4. We Always Stood on Our Own Two Feet: Self-Reliance and the American Family 5. Strong Families, the Foundation of a Virtuous Society: Family Values and Civic Responsibility 6. A Man's Home Is His Castle: The Family and Outside Intervention 7. Bra-Burners and Family Bashers: Feminism, Working Women, Consumerism, and the Family 8. "First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes Mary with a Baby Carriage": Marriage, Sex, and Reproduction 9. Toxic Parents, Supermoms, and Absent Fathers: Putting Parenting in Perspective 10. Pregnant Girls, Wilding Boys, Crack Babies, and the Underclass: The Myth of Black Family Collapse 11. The Crisis Reconsidered Epilogue to the 2016 Edition: For Better AND Worse: Family Trends in the Twenty-first Century

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Book SynopsisA multicultural family welcomes a new member in this warm and lyrical picture book that celebrates family love.In this family We are a blend, a combination of cornbread and roti, of the Green Bay Packers and Bhangra… This family has ancestors hailing from the Land of Five Rivers, the Emerald Isle, the Swiss Alps, and the Silk Road. When it’s time to greet the newest arrival, four generations around the globe—Mummy and Papa, bhaiyya, grandparents, and even Parnani—show her that while some might call their family mixed (biracial, adhi Indian, adhi white), there is nothing half and half about them. They are whole.

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Book SynopsisOne LGBTQ family’s inspiring, heartfelt story of the many alternative paths that lead to a loving family, with lessons for every parent Trystan and Biff had been dating for just a year when the couple learned that Biff’s niece and nephew were about to be removed from their home by Child Protective Services. Immediately, Trystan and Biff took in one-year-old Hailey and three-year-old Lucas, becoming caregivers overnight to two tiny survivors of abuse and neglect. From this unexpected start, the young couple built a loving marriage and happy home—learning to parent on the job. They adopted Hailey and Lucas, tied the knot, and soon decided to try for a baby that Trystan, who is transgender, would carry. Trystan’s groundbreaking pregnancy attracted media fanfare, and the family welcomed baby Leo in 2017. In this inspiring memoir, Trystan shares his unique story alongside universal lessons that will help all parents through the trials of raising children. How We Do Family is a refreshing new take on family life for the LGBTQ community and beyond. Through every tough moment and touching memory, Trystan shows that more important than getting things right is doing them with love.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2023 National Book Critics Circle for Nonfiction and the Los Angeles Times Book PrizeA Washington Post best nonfiction book of 2023 Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in NonfictionA riveting indictment of the child welfare system . . . [A] bracing gut punch of a book. Robert Kolker, The Washington Post[A] moving and superbly reported book. Jessica Winter, The New YorkerA harrowing account . . . [and] a powerful critique of [the] foster care system . . . We Were Once a Family is a wrenching book. Jennifer Szalai, The New York TimesA New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice One of Publishers Weekly''s best nonfiction books of 2023 The shocking, deeply reported story of a murder-suicide that claimed the lives of six childrenand a searing indictment of the American foster care system.On March 26, 2018, rescue worker

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Book SynopsisOn the savannah, whatever the weather,The animals must stick together. A herd of elephants cross the trail,Steadily walking, trunk to tail. A gorgeous picture book by award-winning illustrator Britta Teckentrup!Discover the incredible habits of animals and their families, from diving dolphins to marvellous manatees, and explore what family means to all kinds of creatures. Britta Teckentrup's stunning artwork brings to life nature's incredible stories of the ways in which animals protect and support each other. Lyrical rhyming text by Patricia Hegarty creates a calming tone, making this a perfect book for sharing with your child at bedtime or anytime! Die-cuts let young readers peep through the pages, revealing different horizons all across the world. In this latest addition to Britta Teckentrup's bestselling series of nature-themed books, animal parents and their young help you celebrate families, love, and the wonders of nature. Also available in the Peek-through Nature series: Don't miss the full range of stunning picture books that focus on the natural world, including Sea, Moon, Bee, Tree and Home!For more Britta Teckentrup books that explore social themes, don't miss We Are Together, Under the Same Sky, Kindness Grows and A Happy Place.

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Book SynopsisOur first-ever Rohingya children's book written in Rohingya and English.Based on a true story, this book follows a young Rohingya boy from Myanmar who was forced to flee his home. His family is separated across the world—an experience shared by many refugees. Despite the distance, their strong family bonds keep them connected across oceans.We created this book to spark conversation about the refugee crisis and to share about the importance of family. The unbreakable bonds that refugees share with their families can serve as inspiration to us all. While the global refugee crisis may seem overwhelming, there are simple ways we can help refugees in our own community (see the discussion questions at the end of the book).

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Book Synopsis?Not all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why don't we ever get that movie?India Allwood grew up wanting to be an actor. Armed with a stack of index cards (for research/line memorization/make-shift confetti), she goes from awkward sixteen-year-old to Broadway ingenue to TV superhero.Her new movie is a prestige picture about adoption, but its spin is the same old tired story of tragedy. India is an adoptive mom in real life though. She wants everyone to know there's more to her family than pain and regret. So she does something you should never do she tells a journalist the truth: it's a bad movie.Soon she's at the center of a media storm, battling accusations from the press and the paparazzi, from protesters on the right and advocates on the left. Her twin ten-year-olds know they need help and who better to call than family? But that's where it gets really messy because India's not just an adoptive mot

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Book SynopsisFrom Black Lives Matter to the ongoingWomen's Marches, we have had some powerful moments over the last decade that have galvanized and created new, but brief, feelings of community. Many of us, however, haven't figured out how to spark that feeling on our own, or how to build off or sustain those moments. Many of us are longing for a kind of sugar-borrowing and stoop-sitting closeness we imagine existed in the 50s. Maybe we even grew up in that environment, but we moved away from home for love, work, or adventure and we don't know how to recreate it in a new place. What so many of us are missing is the closeness that connects us and make us feel like we belong to a community.In How We Show Up, community visionary Mia Birdsong delivers a modern, timely understanding of what true, authentic family and community can look like--outside of the 2-parent, 2.5 kids norm we all have in our heads. Today we have more single parents, couples who raise children outside of marriage, and more people growing older alone. Tackling topics like creating safe spaces, creativity in community, raising children in community, and more, How We Show Up is the antidote to the social fractures we face in our nation today. By sharing stories and actionable advice, and taking cues from marginalized communities--people of color, women, LGBTQ--Mia Birdsong offers us the blueprint we need to build true community wherever we are.

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Book SynopsisWe All Giggled tells the stories of two families that came together when the author's parents met and married in 1945. The HÃ"glins had lost most of their fortune in the course of two world wars, and the Wachendorff s had survived the Nazi years despite their Jewish ancestry. The families' roots are traced back to a vineyard in southern Germany, a jail in Geneva, the Conservatory in St. Petersburg, and the hometown of a Jewish merchant in Silesia. This engaging book centres on the author's recollections of his grandparents, his parents, and his own growing up in postwar Germany in an environment of bourgeois stability and comfort. As the author chronicles his family's ups and downs and abiding love for music, food, and art across several generations, a rich tapestry of anecdotes unfoldsâabout opera singers, restaurants, and travels, and about family relations, romance, and the kind of "impromptu reactions to people, places, and situations that often result in uncontrollable giggles."Trade Review"This book reminds us what the ideal family actually is: a collection of colourful, delightfully imperfect people who have, for better and worse, made up the music of our lives. May we all remember and honour our families with such care, respect, and willingness to giggle and forgive." -- Alison Wearing, author of Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey -- 201011Table of ContentsTable of Contents for We All Giggled: A Bourgeois Family Memoir by Thomas O. Hueglin Thanks What This Is About Part I: The HÃ"glins 1. Tango 2. A nearly missed wedding 3. Madonnas and Buddhas 4. Diaspora 5. Les artistes 6. Nationalökonomie 7. Rhenish humour 8. Genealogy of men 9. (Some) artists again 10. The villa(s) 11. Christmas 12. Mucki 13. The Planter 14. Nemesis 15. Zauberberg 16. Varasdin on the Isar 17. NÃ"ssli mit Likör 18. The surroundings 19. Kids 20. School 21. Cars 22. The Jewish question (I) 23. Black Forest 24. From music to medicine 25. War Part II: The Wachendorffs 26. A sombre beginning 27. A macabre anniversary 28. Black stairs 29. The photographer 30. The factory director 31. The gardener 32. Tyrant and charmer 33. Possible encounter 34. Another Chile connection 35. Hattenheim 36. The Rhine 37. Freie Heimat 38. Books and poems 39. The Jewish question (II) 40. Same subject continued 41. Postscript 42. In from the cold 43. Favourite aunt 44. Hans-Erich 45. Family reunions 46. Gamelan meets baroque 47. Reborn 48. Middle names 49. Middle ground 50. Skin of our teeth 51. War again Part III: Renate and Hans 52. Presto agitato 53. Courtship 54. The crossing 55. Occupation 56. Wings 57. Degrees of separation 58. Presto agitato again 59. Interlude Part IV: Tutzing (1950s) 60. Little house on the lake 61. On the town 62. Boys and girls 63. Catholics and Communists 64. The hotel 65. Erika 66. Piano lessons 67. Music, caviar, and space 68. Star-struck 69. Beaulieu-sur-Mer 70. Disaster 71. A few months later, back to the memoir 72. Geneva 73. On the radio Part V: Munich 74. Esmeralda 75. The apartment 76. The doctor 77. The piano 78. Dallas 79. School again 80. The group 81. Girls 82. Ambach

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Book SynopsisSet in the remote, mountainous Guangxi Autonomous Region and based on ethnographic fieldwork, Families We Need traces the movement of three Chinese foster children, Dengrong, Pei Pei, and Meili, from the state orphanage into the humble, foster homes of Auntie Li, Auntie Ma, and Auntie Huang. Traversing the geography of Guangxi, from the modern capital Nanning where Pei Pei and Meili reside, to the small farming village several hours away where Dengrong is placed, this ethnography details the hardships of social abandonment for disabled children and disenfranchised, older women in China, while also analyzing the state’s efforts to cope with such marginal populations and incorporate them into China’s modern future. The book argues that Chinese foster families perform necessary, invisible service to the Chinese state and intercountry adoption, yet the bonds they form also resist such forces, exposing the inequalities, privilege, and ableism at the heart of global family making.Trade Review"Families We Need is a brilliant and warmly empathic book. Written with grace and lucidity, it elevates readers’ understanding of the need for family, and of how neediness can be a source of strength, and even abundance."— Kathie Carpenter, Author of Life in a Cambodian Orphanage "Raffety’s work provides a rare and precious view on foster care and other kinship practices in mountainous Southwest China, showing us their deep entanglements with forces of urbanization and globalization. It reveals how life-transforming care could emerge where the most vulnerable individuals encounter each other, quietly resisting the deeply-seated biases of ableism, classism, and even imperialism. The book exemplifies the most empathic and humanizing type of ethnography."— Zhiying Ma, Assistant Professor at The University of Chicago "Raffety’s work provides a rare and precious view on foster care and other kinship practices in mountainous Southwest China, showing us their deep entanglements with forces of urbanization and globalization. It reveals how life-transforming care could emerge where the most vulnerable individuals encounter each other, quietly resisting the deeply-seated biases of ableism, classism, and even imperialism. The book exemplifies the most empathic and humanizing type of ethnography."— Zhiying Ma, Assistant Professor at The University of Chicago "Families We Need is a brilliant and warmly empathic book. Written with grace and lucidity, it elevates readers’ understanding of the need for family, and of how neediness can be a source of strength, and even abundance."— Kathie Carpenter, Author of Life in a Cambodian OrphanageTable of ContentsPrologue Glossary of People, Places, and Concepts Introduction: Needy Kinship 1 Abandonment, Affinity, and Social Vulnerability 2 Fostering (Whose) Family? 3 Needy Alliances 4 Envying Kinship 5 Replaceable Families? 6 Disruptive Families Conclusion: Families We Need Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Body Family is a song of memory and revelation; it is the sublime unearthing of what has been hidden by silence and erasure. This lyrical and imagistic poetry collection tells the story of a family’s journey to flee the murderous reign of Uganda’s Idi Amin only to land in a racist American landscape. Wabuke excavates personal and ancestral history to bring these poems to wrenching life, articulating what it means to be a Black girl becoming a Black woman while navigating a diaspora haunted by British colonization and American enslavement.Trade Review“In The Body Family, Hope Wabuke describes the troubled bond between abuser and survivor: the terror of association, the inescapable and rotting intimacy of violence, and the life-making work of running just out of reach, of pressing forward despite memory, despite various scars. This collection is made from gem-hard incidents that reveal the absurd gap between the truth, the tally, the witness, and what’s called ‘history.’ These narratives are Wabuke’s to till and to tell.” —Ladan Osman, author of Exiles of Eden “In lush, cinematic poems, Hope Wabuke’s The Body Family chronicles leaving, arrival, and the dangers on either side. The poems are taut and precise, and together sing a kaleidoscopic song of Blackness, diaspora, and coming of age. I love this book, and I learn from this book.” —Safia Elhillo, author of Home Is Not A Country “In Hope Wabuke’s The Body Family we are introduced to a trans-historical interrogation of how colonialism, race, gender, and religion have been shaping forces in the poet’s cultural and familial life. With poems that expose the brutal histories of state violence and the concomitant twisting of religious ideas, The Body Family is a lyrical exploration of what it means to be Black/Mother/Diaspora. But as with all good poetry, Wabuke carries us into moments of tenderness, beauty, and an unfettered love for community. These poems are an honest wellspring of how we face history in the present.” — Matthew Shenoda, author of Tahrir Suite “The poems in Hope Wabuke’s collection, The Body Family, are works of lyric force that reveal a vulnerability of sensibility and feeling, and an intellectual curiosity even as they engage courageously, matters of family, of the body, of mothering, of racism, of cultural change, in intimate and powerful ways. Hope Wabuke, in other words, is an important voice and one that should be heard.” —Kwame Dawes, author of City of Bones: A Testament

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Book SynopsisThe Family Book celebrates the love we feel for our families and all the different varieties they come in. Whether you have two moms or two dads, a big family or a small family, a clean family or a messy one, Todd Parr assures readers that no matter what kind of family you have, every family is special in its own unique way.Parr''s message about the importance of embracing our differences is delivered in a playful way. With his trademark bold, bright colors and silly scenes, this book will encourage children to ask questions about their own families. Perfect for young children just beginning to read, The Family Book is designed to encourage early literacy, enhance emotional development, celebrate multiculturalism, promote character growth, and strengthen family relationships

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Book SynopsisCome on a journey with award-winning GP DR AMIR KHAN to discover how families begin and how you became part of your family.Families come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but how did we all begin? This accessible introduction to how babies are made is perfect for opening up discussions with children and celebrating the diversity that makes each family special.Welcome to LITTLE EXPERTS inspiring the next generation of little experts! Written by expert authors, famous for their passion and expertise Must-read introductions to key non-fiction topics with vibrant, colour illustrations throughout Created to empower and inspire!Also available in the series:Amazing Bodies and How to Save a Life by DR RONX, award-winning trans non-binary emergency doctor and TV presenter.How to Build a Home by GEORGE CLARKE, an architect, writer, lecturer and TV presenter.Superhero Animals by CHRIS PACKHAM CBE, one of the UK's leading naturalists and an award-winning conservationist, who began his TV career pTrade Review“Each [Little Experts book] is beautifully illustrated and aimed at children aged six to nine, but equally educational for any adults reading along too.” – The Big Issue

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Book SynopsisWinner, 2023 Animals and Society''s Distinguished Book Award, presented by the American Sociological AssociationThe rise and increasingly important role of companion animals in our familiesFrom homemade meals for our dogs to high-end feline veterinary care, pets are a growing multi-billion-dollar industry in the United States. In Just Like Family, Andrea Laurent-Simpson explores the expanding role of animals in what she calls the multi-species family, providing a window into a world where almost 95 percent of adults who share their homes with dogs and cats identifyand ultimately treattheir animal companions as legitimate members of their families. With an insightful eye, Laurent-Simpson examines why and how these animals have increasingly become an important part of our households. She highlights their various roles in our lives, including as siblings to our existing children, as animal children themselves, and in some cases, even as grandchildren, paTrade ReviewIn this fascinating book, Laurent-Simpson discusses how nontraditional families such as childfree families, LGBTQ families, and grandparent families have helped to make the multispecies family the norm. As people began to focus less on survival and more on happiness—the family structure evolved along with it—with dogs right by our side. Laurent-Simpson also considers the impacts of the multispecies family on the birthrate in the United States, which hit a record low in 2020. * The Bark *Deftly weaving identity theory, family studies, symbolic interactionism, and animal studies, Just Like Family has broad versatility and reach in sociology. In this book, Laurent-Simpson delivers the rare combination of readability, relatability and rigor. She provides compelling stories from pet parents as well as examples from popular culture that show, quite clearly, the ways in which companion animals have nosed their way from pets to family members and in so doing, created a new family structure. The importance of this transition in family form is thoroughly explained and supported with reference to multiple fields. Additionally, with the use of triangulation in data collection, this book is a great exemplar of qualitative research and would be excellent for a qualitative methods class, in addition to courses focusing on family or identity. -- Beth Montemurro, author of Deserving Desire: Women's Stories of Sexual EvolutionWhen a subtle social change happens slowly, over the course of many decades, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how the present moment came to be. Such is the case with pets becoming members of the family. With a wealth of heartwarming stories and informative demographic analyses, Andrea Laurent-Simpson shows how family structures have evolved to include beloved animal companions. These contemporary multi-species families have created their own identities, roles, and boundaries to define 'family' for themselves. From 'pet parents' taking care of their 'animal kids,' to children seeing themselves as 'siblings' to their companion animals, Laurent-Simpson demonstrates how animal companions moved from being “owned” to claiming a status as a member of the family. -- Elizabeth Cherry, author of For the Birds: Protecting Wildlife Through the Naturalist GazeIncreasing numbers of people now regard their companion animals as members of the family. Although some critics consider this very idea frivolous, Andrea Laurent-Simpson takes people’s claims seriously and investigates how we incorporate non-human beings into a group long regarded as uniquely human. The resulting analysis sheds valuable light on the dynamics of the more-than-human family. With its impeccable research and graceful prose, Just Like Family holds insights for scholars and lay readers alike. -- Leslie Irvine, editor of We Are Best Friends: Animals in SocietyAndrea Laurent-Simpson’s book skillfully combines the micro and macro level of analysis…It is, therefore, a very versatile research approach, which gives the whole picture of the changes to American families and the position of companion animals in American society. * Symbolic Interaction *Just Like Family is joy to read. It should find a significant lay and academic audience and would contribute considerably to a range of college courses including sociology of the family, social psychology, and human animal studies. * Social Forces *Laurent-Simpson (Southern Methodist Univ.) contends that the American family unit has changed over time to incorporate a multispecies dimension as household pets have come to be increasingly considered part of the family, representing new relationships and transforming existing ones. Utilizing interviews, observational data, and artifacts from popular culture, the author compellingly argues for taking pets seriously as family members. Among her key observations are not just the importance of pets as companions to whom owners devote economic and emotional resources but that the way in which humans understand these relationships as similar to parent/child relationships has changed the way Americans think about these traditional roles. Many of the most intriguing insights call for further investigation, including the gendered dimensions of companion animals in which cultural expectations of motherhood are often transferred onto “pet parents,” reflected in both the attitudes and consumption patterns of interviewees and coinciding with declining fertility rates. In addition, racialized patterns of ownership suggest that the multispecies family is primarily a white phenomenon with significant class-based dimensions. Of interest to family and animal studies scholars, this text provides a fascinating snapshot of the ways pets are active and transformative agents. * Choice *Laurent-Simpson’s clear and accessible writing style makes this book ideal for all readers interested in the companion animal as family, whether for academic inquiry or personal curiosity. * American Journal of Sociology *

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Book SynopsisVishakha N. Desai uses her life experiences to explore the significance of living globally and its urgency for our current moment. She reframes the idea of what it means to be global, considering how to lead a life of multiple belongings without losing local and national affinities.Trade ReviewOnly rarely does a personal narrative succeed in providing fresh insight about the large currents of history defining our present moment. Yet that is precisely what Vishakha Desai has given us in World as Family. In recounting her story of evolution and self-discovery across continents and cultures, Professor Desai addresses profound questions about identity and belonging and offers a singular rebuttal to surging nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiments. What we are left with, ultimately, is a compelling vision of an open and expansive global society. -- Lee C. Bollinger, President and Seth Low Professor of the University, Columbia UniversityWho am I? Where are my roots? Can I have multiple identities without betraying those roots? Vishakha Desai’s 'in-between' personal story of belonging as Indian, Asian, American, and human is passionate, honest, and moving. It is a powerful call for holding together the values of rooted global belonging without giving up on any part of one’s identity. -- Irina Bokova, former Director-General, UNESCOThere are few books which I carry with me as I explore new chapters of my life; this is one of them. World as Family forces you to think about culture, identity, and the world in its entirety, all the while exploring the messy, complicated nuances of reality. It is raw, personal, and feels like a warm hug in the midst of chaos. Young people often think about ‘where is home?’ The answer is right here in this book! -- Shagun Sethi, MA Student, Columbia University[Desai's] ability to pause, reflect, and reconsider makes this memoir a page-turner. * The Hindu *Table of ContentsIntroductionI. Roots1. Too Bad, Another Girl!2. Home: Beams, Dreams, and Food3. Dancing with Gods4. Who Is Kwame Nkrumah?II. Crossing5. Strangers Become “Family”6. Vietnam: War or Country?7. The Trauma of ReturnIII. In-Between-Ness of Belonging8. Attachments, Made/Unmade9. Art Connections10. Between Being and BecomingIV. Expanding the Circle/Back to the Center11. Expanding Identities12. Death and Life in the Diasporic Family13. Perceptions and Problematics of BelongingV. At Home in the World14. Building Communities across Borders15. Remaking “Home” in the World16. Creating a Culture of “Us”Epilogue: Becoming “Family” in a World of PandemicsAcknowledgmentsNotes

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Book SynopsisAbout The SeriesThe You Can Do It Series encourages and equips believers to live out life as a disciple of Jesus Christ, being formed and shaped by God''s Word. Written in a clear and encouraging style, each of these topical books gives Christians achievable goals for strengthening their faith and relationships. Each book features a consistent presentation of a topic in five parts with each part consisting of a presentation, summary, discussion questions, and several action steps.About This VolumeThere are no perfect families, and we all want to have stronger, faithful families. Even while the pressures of real-life issues press on every side, there are opportunities to support your spouse, your children, even your extended family. God has mercifully surrounded us with the means

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Book Synopsis''So much more than a parenting manual - the Grants have thrown out a lifeline'' THE TIMES''The most extraordinary parenting guide of our time'' DAILY MAILA breakout book on the ever-expanding concept of familyCarrie and David Grant have an extraordinary family story to tell. They have four children, one of whom is adopted, and all have come with a curveball: mental health challenges, neurodivergence, trans non-binary identities, various sexualities, and they are a mixed-race family, too.It is a reflection of the fact that society is changing faster than most of us can keep up with. The wider concepts of family and community are being deconstructed. There are those who are desperately clinging to the old and those who are desperate for the new to be accepted. How do we hold our families and communities together in unity? How do we create a society where all are included and none are oppressed?In A Very Modern Family, CarrTrade ReviewHowever our children show up in the world, there will be times when we feel out of our depth. This book helps us to know that it is within us to find the strength needed to meet the challenges we face. * JUNO *The most extraordinary parenting guide of our time * Daily Mail *This book is so much more than a parenting manual; the Grants have thrown out a lifeline. * The Times *[A Very Modern Family] covers a rainbow of experiences; coming out, dealing with school and life in a society that is still prejudiced. It's taboo-busting, brave and moving, and should be on every family's bookshelf * The Green Parent magazine *This book will surprise many and enlighten us all -- Paterson Joseph

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Book SynopsisA collection of essays that considers the many forms of wealth, both material and emotional, that women pass on to each other. It addresses issues of central concern to feminists, postmodernists, and queer theorists and encourages different insights into how gender profoundly affects us.Trade Review"The Family Silver is carefully and beautifully written. A mark of Krieger's style is that she announces themes subtly, without the fanfare that social scientific writers usually adopt. . . . Whether or not one agrees with Krieger, one can appreciate her clear, direct prose and her insistence that we think again about the worlds we inhabit." * Gender and Society *"Difficult and complex issues are presented in a naked fashion. Stripped of the cloak of academic jargon, these essays are honest, vulnerable, and apt to induce an emotional response in readers. Krieger writes in a straightforward manner making her biases and perspectives clear. Not all readers will agree with her, but they are likely to question conceptions of gender and its influence in their lives, personally and professionally. If Krieger's hope is realized, the book will also encourage other women to tell their stories." * Journal of Higher Education *Table of ContentsPREFACE INTRODUCTION Part One Personal Settings ONE: GENDER ROLES AMONG WOMEN TWO: BECOMING A LESBIAN THREE: THE FAMILY SILVER FOUR: THE PASSING DOWN OF SORROW Part Two Academic Settings FIVE: HURTS OF THE SYSTEM SIX: SAYING NO TO A MAN SEVEN: LESBIAN IN ACADEME Part Three Feminist Teaching EIGHT: A FEMINIST CLASS NINE: SEPARATISM TEN: DESIRES FOR AN IDEAL COMMUNITY OF WOMEN NOTES

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Book SynopsisSocial workers and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) helpers need practical, relationship-based clinical tools to support families experiencing stress, separation, and loss. Research reveals key parenting behaviors occur during hair combing interaction (HCI) – lively verbal interaction, sensitive touch, and responsiveness to infant cues. This book explores how the simple routine of combing hair serves as an emotionally powerful, trauma-informed, culturally valid therapeutic tool for use by mental health helpers. HCI offers a low-cost opportunity for IECMH helpers to engage families and sustain attachment relationships. In this book, case studies illustrate the use of HCI with diverse families of color. Each chapter includes questions for reflective supervision to understand sociocultural factors that may shape behaviors during HCI. Topics included in the text: The Observing Professional and the Parent’s Ethnobiography Introduction to Reflective Supervision: Through the Lens of Culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion A Case Study in Cross-Racial Practice and Supervision: Reflections in Black and White Tools to Disrupt Legacies of Colorism: Perceptions, Emotions, and Stories of Childhood Racial Features Therapeutic Cultural Routines to Build Family Relationships: Talk, Touch & Listen While Combing Hair© is a unique resource for counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, home visiting nurses, early childhood educators, and family therapists who work with military families or multiracial families with bi-racial children.“This book provides practical insights useful for professionals and parents. The authors share compelling experiences using strength-based and rich cultural approaches guided by reflective practice. It deserves to be widely read and become a classic resource.” Robert N. Emde, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of MedicineTable of ContentsFront matterENDORSEMENTSFOREWORDPREFACEACKNOWLEDGMENTSABOUT THE BOOKEDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORSSANKOFA Body matter PART I: Talk, Touch & Listen While Combing Hair 1. Childhood Experiences of Racial Acceptance and Rejection 2. A Social Worker’s Story: How Can I Help This Young Mother and Her Little Children? 3. The Interactive Stages of Hair Combing: Routines and Rituals 4. The Observing Professional and the Parent’s Ethnobiography 5. Cultural Routines and Reflections: Building Parent-Child Connections – Hair Combing Interaction as a Cultural Intervention PART II: Reflective Supervision and Practice: Experiences Shared by Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Practitioners6. Introduction to Reflective Supervision: Through the Lens of Culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 7. Summoning Angels in the Nursery with Hair Combing Interactions 8. The Tilted Room of Colorism 9. Infant Mental Health Practice and Reflective Supervision: Who We Are Matters10. A Case Study in Cross-Racial Practice and Supervision: Reflections in Black and White PART III: Reflections on Community-Based Interventions11. If Her Hair Isn’t Right, then I’m Not a Good Mother: Reflections on the San Diego Caregiver-Child Connections Community Counseling Project 12. Reflections on the Talk, Touch & Listen Facilitator Learning Community: Braiding the Personal, the Professional, and Liberation 13. PsychoHairapy Through Beauticians and Barbershops: The Healing Relational Triad of Black Hair Care Professionals, Mothers, and Daughters 14. Reflections on Experiences in a Community-Based Parent Support Group: Parent Whisperers 15. Culture, Creativity, and Helping: Using the Afrocentric Perspective in Community Healing PART IV: Tools for Observation, Assessment, and Intervention16. Tools to Disrupt Legacies of Colorism: Perceptions, Emotions, and Stories of Childhood Racial Features17. Guidelines to Identify Child-Endangering Hair Styling Practices: Medical, Legal, and Psychosocial Perspectives18. Conclusions Back matterAppendix A: Glossary of Hair Combing Interaction Terms Appendix B: Childhood Experiences of Racial Acceptance and Rejection (CERAR) Interview Questions & FAMILY COLORGRAMAppendix C: Tender-Headed Rating Scale© (TRS)Appendix D: The ‘Neck-Up’ Exercise© Index

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Book SynopsisWhy we need to break free from the persistent tyranny of the nuclear family

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Book SynopsisAlmost everyone grows up in a family, and family ties play an important role in daily life. But what exactly is a family'? What is a family tie'? We use the general concept of family' in many contexts in fiction, in talk shows, in law, in politics and yet one person''s family may be strikingly different from another''s.This introductory guide sets out to examine the multiple meanings of the family and related concepts. It explores the different roles played by these concepts in our attempts to understand who we are, where we belong, and what we owe to whom, and the relationships between individual, family, and society. Grounded in philosophy and ethics, the book also draws extensively from other disciplines such as law and sociology, discussing the concrete implications of these ideas for issues such as parental love, marriage and divorce, family autonomy, and assisted reproduction.

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Book SynopsisGrandparenting in the 21st century is at the heart of profound family and societal changes. It is of increasing social and economic significance yet many dimensions of grandparenting are still poorly understood. Contemporary Grandparenting is the first book to take a sociological approach to grandparenting across diverse country contexts and combines new theorising with up-to-date empirical findings to document the changing nature of grandparenting across global contexts. In this highly original book, leading contributors analyse how grandparenting differs according to the nature of the welfare state and the cultural context, how family breakdown influences grandparenting, and explore men's changing roles as grandfathers. Grandparents today face conflicting norms and expectations about their roles, but act with agency to forge new identities within the context of societal and cultural constraints. Contemporary Grandparenting illuminates key issues relevant to students and researchers from sociology and social policy, including in the fields of family, childhood, ageing and gender studies.Trade Review"Will the 21st century be the 'grandparents' century'? We may believe so from reading this collection of contributions by leading scholars from all over the world, showing how grandparents are becoming a 'pivot generation' within families and within society. One of the great qualities of this book is its demonstration of a phenomenon which still remains underestimated." Claudine Attias-Donfut, Associate Senior Researcher, Edgar Morin Centre, Paris (CNRS/EHESS) (National Centre for Scientific Research/School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences)"This insightful and penetrating analysis shows how modern grandparenthood shapes and is shaped by the changing social and economic contexts of family relationships. The skilful integration of contributions from around the globe is a unique strength." Anne Martin-Matthews, Department of Sociology, University of British ColumbiaTable of ContentsIntroduction: A new look at grandparenting ~ Virpi Timonen and Sara Arber; Section One: Grandparenting responding to economic and family transformations; Transformations in the role of grandparents across welfare states ~ Katharina Herlofson and Gunhild O Hagestad; The well-being of grandparents caring for grandchildren in rural China and the United States ~ Lindsey Baker and Merril Silverstein; Grandmothers juggling work and grandchildren in the United States ~ Madonna Harrington Meyer; Solidarity, ambivalence and multigenerational co-residence in Hong Kong ~ Lisanne SF Ko; Grandparenting in the context of care for grandchildren by foreign domestic workers ~ Shirley Hsiao-Li Sun; Section Two: Grandparenting indentities and agency; Being there yet not interfering: The paradoxes of grandparenting ~ Vanessa May, Jennifer Mason & Lynda Clarke; Grandparental agency after adult children's divorce ~ Virpi Timonen & Martha Doyle; Grandfathering: The construction of new identities and masculinities ~ Anna Tarrant; Understanding adolescent grandchildren's influence on their grandparents ~ Alice Delerue Matos and Rita Borges Neves; Social contact between grandparents and older grandchildren: A three generation perspective ~ Katharina Mahne & Oliver Huxhold; Grandparenting in the twenty-first century: New directions ~ Sara Arber & Virpi Timonen.

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Book SynopsisGillian Laub’s photographs of her family from the past twenty years, now collected in one volume, explore the ways society’s biggest questions are revealed in our most intimate relationships. Family Matters zeroes in on the artist’s family as an example of the way Donald Trump’s knack for sowing discord and division has impacted communities, individuals, and households across the country. As Laub explains, “I began to unpack my relationship to my relatives—which turned out to be much more indicative of my relationship to the outside world than I had ever thought, and the key to exploring questions I had about the effects of wealth, vanity, childhood, aging, fragility, political conflict, religious traditions, and mortality.” These issues became tangible in 2016, when Laub and her parents found themselves on opposing sides of the most divisive presidential election in recent US history; and further exacerbated in the lead-up to the 2020 election, in the wake of a global pandemic and protests in support of Black Lives Matter. Family Matters reveals Laub’s willingness to confront ideas of privilege and unity, and to expose the fault lines and vulnerabilities of her relatives and herself. Ultimately, Family Matters celebrates the resiliency and power of family—including the family we choose—in the face of divisive rhetoric. In doing so, it holds up a highly personalized mirror to the social and political divides in the United States today.Trade Review"Family Matters is about the power of empathy and love to transcend the politics of almost any moment. It made me laugh out loud, and for the first time in a while, made me hopeful." —Amy Schumer

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Book SynopsisIn the quest to uncover our family history, we turn to written records, the family album and even heirlooms.

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