Marriages, Families, and Intimate Relationships: A Practical Introduction

1. SEEKING: Finding Happiness in Relationships in a Complex World. 1.1 Seeking Happiness Through Love & Intimacy. 1.2 Intimacy, Marriage, & Family. 1.3 The Challenges to Relationships & Families Today. Self-Assessment: The RELATionship Evaluation Questionnaire . Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 2. UNDERSTANDING: Learning about Intimate Behavior. 2.1 A Short History of Marriage. 2.2 Learning How to Think: Keys to Being Open-Minded. 2.3 How Do You Know What's True? Learning to Evaluate Research Results. 2.4 Theoretical Perspectives on the Family. Self-Assessment: Gaining Self-Knowledge from the Harvard Project Implicit Website. Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 3. GENDER: The Meanings of Masculinity & Femininity. 3.1 Understanding Gender & Gender Roles. 3.2 Why Did Do Gender Roles Develop Differently Differ? Some Theories. 3.3 Gender Socialization: Who Teaches Us How to Act Male or Female? 3.4 Gender Roles in Transition: Multiple Masculinities & Femininities. Self-Assessment: What's Your Gender Communications Quotient? Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 4. LOVE: The Many Faces. 4.1 How Do Different People Experience Love Can We Define Love? 4.2 The Origins of Love: Some Theories. 4.3 The Dark Face of Love: Jealousy, Unrequited Love, & Attempts to Control. 4.4 How Can You If It's Whether It's Meaningful Love? Self-Assessment: How Capable Are You of Being Intimate? Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 5. INVOLVEMENT: Dating, Pairing, Courtship, & Cohabitation. 5.1 The Dating Game. 5.2 Pairing Up: Finding & Choosing a Partner. 5.3 Cohabitation: Living Together as an Unmarried Couple. 5.4 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do. Self-Assessment: How Compatibles Are You& Your Prospective Partner? Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 6. SEXUALITY: Interpersonal Sexuality, Sexual Values, & Behavior. 6.1 Sexual Values, Learning, & Scripts. 6.2 The Varieties of Sexual Experience. 6.3 AIDS, Other Sexual Diseases, & Safer Sex. Self-Assessment: Test Your Knowledge of Sexuality. Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 7. MARRIAGE: The Ultimate Commitment? 7.1 Why Do People Marry? 7.2 Changes in the Family Life Cycle: Scenes from a Marriage. 7.3 Different Kinds of Marriage Relationships. 7.4 What Makes for a Successful Marriage? Self-Assessment: Sternberg's Triangular Love Scale. Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 8. VARIATIONS: Nonmarital Families and & Households. 8.1 Different Family & Household Relationships. 8.2 The Single Way of Life. 8.3 The Gay & Lesbian Way of Life. 8.4 Communal Living, Group Marriages, & Open Marriages. Self-assessment: Homophobia Scale. Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 9. COMMUNICATION: Realizing Effective Intimacy. 9.1 Power & Intimacy. 9.2 Conflict & Growth. 9.3 The Nature of Communication. Self-Assessment: Accepting Your Partner. Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 10. REPRODUCTION: Decisions about Having or Not Having Children. 10.1 Having or Not Having Children: Choice or Fate? 10.2 Contraception: Practical Methods of Birth Control. 10.3 Abortion & Abandonment. 10.4 Infertility, Reproductive Technology, & Adoption. Self-Assessment: How Would You Deal with an Unexpected Pregnancy? Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. 11. PARENTING: Successfully Raising Children. 11.1 Parenthood: The Varieties of Experience. 11.2 Becoming a Parent. 11.3 Parenting Approaches. 12. MONEY WORK: Economics, Work Jobs, & Balancing Family Demands. 12.1 Work, Wealth, & Well-Being. 12.2 Changing Family Work Patterns of Workin g . 12.3 Balancing Work & Family Demands: Some Practical Strategies. Customized Work Arrangements. Self-Assessment: How Well Do You Balance Work & Life? Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. Take It to the Net. 13. CRISES: Managing Stresses, Disasters, Violence, & Abuse. 13.1 Stresses, Hassles, & Crises: Seeking Hardiness. 13.2 Crises & Disasters. 13.3 Violence & Abuse between Couples : The Dark Side of Intimate Relationships. 13.4 Coping Strategies: Successful Ways of Handling Stresses & Crises. Self-Assessment: Major Like Events & Street. Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. Take it to the Net. 14. UNCOUPLING: Separation & Divorce. 14.1 Separation, Divorce, & Trends. 14.2 Why People Divorce. 14.3 The Process of Divorce. 14.4 The Effects of Divorce. Self-Assessment: How's Your Marital Adjustment? Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. Take it to the Net. 15. REMARRIAGE: Reinvented, Renewed, & Blended Families. 15.1 Moving t T oward Remarriage. 15.2 Remarried & Blended Families. 15.3 Inside the Blended Family. 15.4 Strengthening Stepfamilies. Self-Assessment: Rate Your Family's Strengths. Key Terms Used in This Chapter. Summary. Take it to the Net. Glossary. Bibliography. Credits. Index.