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Crossing geographic, cultural, and historical boundaries, this volume explores the diversity of the world's families, emphasizing the importance of understanding and valuing them within their own cultural contexts. Covering contemporary Third World as well as Western families, this excellent teaching text addresses topics essential for developing a multicultural perspective. The book begins with background information on family theories and comparative research methodology, along with an overview of the history of the family and gender relations in the Western world. This is followed by chapters on family variation, which explain research on the origin, functions, and universality of the family; kinship terminology and how kinship affiliation affects such issues as postmarital residence patterns; and the diversity of marital structure (plurality of husbands and/or wives) and how culture and economy affect these patterns. The book then examines the life cycle of the family and highlights similarities and differences across time and culture in the areas of mate selection, wedding practices, marital adjustment, childhood socialization, divorce, and care for the elderly. Important contemporary issues seldom covered in earlier works--including gender, class structure, racial discrimination, and poverty--are covered in detail. An ideal text for comparative family courses, this readable and up-to-date volume includes exercises (as well as exercise guidelines for instructors) developed to challenge students' existing viewpoints and offer new ways of looking at the world's families. Families in Multicultural Perspective is also an important resource for anyone interested in understanding and appreciating the diversity of family forms, processes, and experiences.

The Handbook of World Families clarifies and promotes a cross-cultural perspective on the family by an examination of 25 countries worldwide, with the same topics covered in parallel fashion for each. These topics include a brief demographic and historic description of the country, mate selection, child rearing practices, gender roles, family stresses and violence, divorce and remarriage, kinship, aging and death, and the family within the broader societal institutions including politics, economics, and religion.

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Learn what trends and factors are influencing families globally How are families the same or different around the world? Families in a Global Context puts the similarities and differences into perspective, presenting an in-depth comparative analysis of family life in 17 countries around the world. Contributors discuss different countries' family life by using a standard framework to review major influences and patterns. The framework allows readers to do comparative reflection across several countries on a variety of daily living elements, including social and economic forces such as urbanization and modernization, changes in gender/courtship/spousal patterns, and war. This book provides an informative illustration of current as well as future trends of family life worldwide. Each chapter in Families in a Global Context describes customary types of family patterns within each country’s social organization and culture. Important social, economic, political, and other trends are explored in detail, and major ethnic, religious, or other subcultures are noted emphasizing marriage and family patterns that differ from the more typical ones. The book is extensively referenced and includes tables to clearly present data. Countries explored in Families in a Global Context include: European countries of Wales, Sweden, Germany, Romania, and Italy African countries of Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Kenya Middle Eastern countries of Turkey and Iran Asian and Oceanian countries of India, China, the Philippines, and Australia Latin American countries of Brazil, Mexico, and Cuba Topics discussed for each country in Families in a Global Context include: demographics mate selection patterns with an emphasis on the dynamics of couple formation marital roles the place and role of children and parenting in families socialization for gender roles differences in education, employment, and other opportunities major stressors affecting families, coping, and adaptation aging and life expectancy issues and much more! Families in a Global Context is an insightful resource for researchers, educators, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students investigating comparative family topics of family life around the world and in cultural context.

The second edition of The Family in Global Perspective: A Gendered Journey explores the differences and similarities in family structures around the globe. Students learn how factors such as location, culture, and globalization influence how families function and also shape the unique experiences of family members. The lens is that of a gendered journey through which we see how families operate as a result of global forces. The book begins with a chapter featuring vignettes from the author's worldwide travels, emphasizing her observations regarding family life. Proceeding chapters examine the purposes and goals of family life, the history of the family in the West, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and how capitalism and power differentials impact family life. Students are provided with a theoretical understanding on families and information on how gender relations, race, ethnicity, class, and other structural conditions affect the family. The text addresses love, marriage, the end of relationships, intergenerational relations, refugees, immigrants, families of prisoners, violence, and domestic violence globally. The final chapter explores the impact of globalization and the future of the family, particularly as it relates to the impact of technology, religion, and social policies on family life The Family in Global Perspective effectively demonstrates how families around the world are impacted by social, economic, and political change. It is ideal for courses in family studies, sociology, global studies, cultural studies, social work, and counseling. For a look at the specific features and benefits of The Family in Global Perspective, visit cognella.com/the-family-in-global-perspective-features-and-benefits.

ÔAs its title implies, this book by three distinguished scholars puts a cultural perspective at the front and center of issues relating to current approaches to managing complex organizations. It does this by covering the most recent relevant findings by researchers from around the world and, most importantly, interpreting those findings in ways that provide useful guidelines and approaches for those in positions of organizational responsibility. For anyone studying or practicing management in challenging global-oriented contexts this volume is essential Ð and highly interesting Ð reading.Õ Ð Lyman W. Porter, University of California, US ÔThis book is a tour-de-force and a must-read for any scholar and practitioner who is interested in managing global organizations. From such topics as how to motivate, reward, lead, manage conflict, and structure work in different cultural contexts, the authors provide critical insights into how culture shapes all aspects of organizational behavior and a compelling vision of the future that awaits multinational and global organizations. Bravo to the authors for providing the field with a gold mine of information on managing organizations across cultures!Õ Ð Michele Joy Gelfand, University of Maryland, US ÔThis book represents the very best of academic as well as field intensive thinking about cultural and global issues in organizations. While many people have focused on cultural and global issues in the past several decades, the field has largely lacked a systematic review and analysis of these issues in specific contexts. What Bhagat, Triandis and McDevitt offer the reader is a wonderfully comprehensive analysis of key issues of culture in organizations. This is absolutely a ÒmustÓ reading for every serious scholar of global organizations.Õ Ð Chris Earley, Purdue University, US ÔThis is an important book dealing with the increasingly important phenomenon of international business ventures and the globalization of management, markets, and careers. Drs. Bhagat, Triandis, and McDevitt have produced a challenging and highly readable book in which they analyze such key concepts as intercultural communication, job satisfaction in culturally diverse workplaces, the additional workplace stressors brought on by international business alliances, the importance of working with others in groups and on teams charged with task completion, and the transfer of technology among people with different but overlapping skill sets and knowledge. This book will find a valued place in the libraries of international managers, graduate students contemplating careers in international business, and trainers who take on the challenge of preparing people for assignments in countries other than their own.Õ Ð Richard Brislin, University of Hawaii, US ÔIssues of cultural variations in the management of global organizations are of great importance in the 21st century. In developing this book, these three authors bring a wealth of academic knowledge, practical insights from their consulting and worldwide travels in presenting us a coherent picture of how the world of work organizations have changed in response to cultural differences and synergies. The 14 chapters cover all of the important aspects of organization behavior and theory including recent topics like global management focused on the creation and transfer of organizational knowledge. This book is a must read for all students interested in understanding the fundamentals of cultural differences and how they affect the management of global organizations.Õ Ð Kwok Leung, City University of Hong Kong, China The globalization of business is a reality that confronts organizations of all sizes from different nations and cultures. This book serves as a comprehensive guide for understanding the nature of cultural variations that affect important aspects of organizational behavior. The authors expertly cover all of the relevant functions that managers are concerned with in the process of managing global organizations. Various research-based theories and findings are discussed to explain the significance of cultural variations in these phenomena. Readers will gain a clear perspective on how cultural variations have the potential to affect organizational functioning and effectiveness across national borders. A mastery of the fundamental concepts and issues covered in this book will enable future managers of multinational and global corporations to become more effective in dealing with people in different countries and enhance organizational effectiveness on an ongoing basis. Scholars and students will also find this book a path-breaking resource for understanding this important topic.