The Family in Global Perspective - Elaine Leeder

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.

Elaine Leeder is Professor Emerita of Sociology and Dean Emerita of Social Sciences at Sonoma State University. Previously she taught at Ithaca College in Ithaca New York. She earned her doctoral degree from Cornell University, a masters in public health from the University of California at Berkeley, and a masters in social work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University in New York. Dr. Leeder has experience as an educator, professional psychotherapist, consultant, and trainer of mental health and criminal justice professionals. She has won numerous awards for her community work, including one from the American Red Cross for her work on restorative justice in prisons. She was a visiting scholar at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. She is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who of American Teachers, and Who’s Who of American Women. She has written five other books and can be visited at www.ElaineLeeder.com.