This book takes a novel approach to family, exploring in detail how status is inherited and maintained within families; the process of upward social mobility; and how the roots of social decline start within families. The author also examines how rigidly status equivalence determines choice of spouse. Exceptionally extensive in its coverage, the book ranges from the seventeenth century to the present day, across a large range of European countries and part of the United States, and across several class groups, including royalty, nobility and entrepreneurial dynasties, as well as families of professionals, artists and those in lower ranks. The book also discusses the viability of the central sociological concepts of class and status. The book will be of interest to scholars and students in the areas of family sociology, history, social equality and inequality and class and elitism research.

This book deals with dynastic business families. Such families are characterized by a circle of owners comprising more than 50 family members, which typically face specific issues and challenges for which there has been little research knowledge and practical approaches until now. The book presents results and findings from a special research project on “big family management” where 7 representatives of dynastic families from Germany were studied over a 3-year period. The result was the identification of six topic areas that management in these business families has to deal with. At the same time, the study observes that dynastic business families hardly follow the logic of classic families anymore, but can rather be understood as networks with common family backgrounds. The study also reveals that a large number of business families are heading for large shareholder groups due to changed inheritance practices. The contents outlined here provide an orientation framework for the growing business family.

Family isn't just important. It's everything. From lions hunting as a pride to penguins huddling together to keep from freezing in the bitter Antarctic winter, many animals are dependent on complex social relationships for their survival. Powerful dynasties lay claim to vast swathes of territory, fighting off rivals and securing their hunting grounds for generations to come. Dynasties offers an immersive insight into the shifting hierarchies of animal families. Each chapter follows a different dynasty, from the Marsh Lions of the Masai Mara to rival packs of painted wolves, from a tiger protecting her newborn cubs to a chimpanzee troop and the penguin colonies of the Antarctic. Alongside tender moments when bonds are strengthened through grooming and play, the book charts the rivalries that tip the balance of power, when family members turn against each other and younger animals grow strong enough to challenge for control. With over 200 stunning photographs and insights from the crew of the BBC series, Dynasties reveals in astonishing detail the intricate social lives of our planet’s most fascinating animals.

Dynastic politics, usually presumed to be the antithesis of democracy, is a routine aspect of politics in many modern democracies. This book introduces a new theoretical perspective on dynasticism in democracies, using original data on twenty-first-century Indian parliaments. It argues that the roots of dynastic politics lie at least in part in modern democratic institutions - states and parties - which give political families a leg-up in the electoral process. It also proposes a rethinking of the view that dynastic politics is a violation of democracy, showing that it can also reinforce some aspects of democracy while violating others. Finally, this book suggests that both reinforcement and violation are the products, not of some property intrinsic to political dynasties, but of the institutional environment from which those dynasties emerge.

From the author of the New York Times bestseller The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, a fascinating look at the crossroads of kin and coin David S. Landes has earned a reputation as a brilliant writer and iconoclast among economic historians. In his latest acclaimed work, he takes a revealing look at the quality that distinguishes a third of today's Fortune 500 companies: family ownership. From the banking fortunes of Rothschild and Morgan to the automobile empires of Ford and Toyota, Landes explores thirteen different dynasties, revealing what lay behind their successes-and how extravagance, bad behavior, and poor enterprise brought some of them to their knees. A colorful history that is full of surprising conclusions, Dynasties is an engrossing mix of ambition, eccentricity, and wealth.

This collection of entries offers a front seat view of the rise, reign, and fall of powerful modern political families and examines the effects they have had on political, social, and economic issues in American society. Modern American Political Dynasties: A Study of Power, Family, and Political Influence is a unique research resource and fascinating read that explores the dynamics and modern America's most influential political families. It provides a thorough study of approximately 20 of the best-known surnames in 20th-century American politics. More than just a biography, it highlights how these families' dynamics have influenced political practice and thought, providing a holistic context for the evolution of political dynasties in the United States. The text includes a historically grounded examination of the crossroads of family and politics as it charts the origins, development, peak strength, and decline of each family. It is the only published volume to include biographical and contextual information on major political dynasties in addition to fascinating research on high-profile personalities. The book is for any research institution collection and will be of interest to both academics and general readers interested in American history and politics.

Brings to life the drama of political intrigue and military valor of the Ewing family.