A survey of twelve family systems in twelve cultural and historical settings throughout the world. Different societies in different ages have worked out different ways of handling problems of marriage, child rearing, sex regulation, kinship responsiblities, etc. In this engrosing thoroughly readable book, the cultural heritage of the American family system is traced back through seven different systems, showing a sequence of historical influences. Five other systems those of the Toda, the Hopi, the Baganda, the pre-revolutionary Chinese, and that of the kibbutz-offer a contrast with the American family and portray the wide range of variation in forms of family life.

First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Reflecting author gdem Kagitasi's influential work over the last two decades, this new edition examines human development, the self, and the family in a cultural context. It challenges the existing assumptions in mainstream western psychology about the nature of individuals. The author proposes a new model the "Autonomous-Related Self" which

Contemporary trends such as increased one-parent families, high divorce rates, second marriages and homosexual partnerships have all contributed to variations in the traditional family structure. But to what degree has the function of the family changed and how have these changes affected family roles in cultures throughout the world? This book attempts to answer these questions through a psychological study of families in thirty nations, carefully selected to present a diverse cultural mix. The study utilises both cross-cultural and indigenous perspectives to analyse variables including family networks, family roles, emotional bonds, personality traits, self-construal, and 'family portraits' in which the authors address common core themes of the family as they apply to their native countries. From the introductory history of the study of the family to the concluding indigenous psychological analysis of the family, this book is a source for students and researchers in psychology, sociology and anthropology.