Gender, Marriage, and Families: From the Individual to the Social
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2019
Pages: 372
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2019
Pages: 372
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Gender, Marriage, and Families is a unique textbook that can be used as a supplemental reader and workbook in various different courses, such as gender, marriage and families, introduction to sociology, social problems, culture and diversity, norms and deviance, and interdisciplinary studies.
Gender, Marriage, and Families is recommended as supplemental reading not only for gender and marriage and families courses, but for intro and social problems as well because it guides students from individual perspectives toward more social ones in an innovative way. Each chapter begins with a fictional case study that serves as an illustration for a pressing and/or common phenomenon in the field of gender, marriage, and families. Introducing sociological issues through fiction leads to more accessible content for students and an interdisciplinary approach. Each fictional case study is followed by a brief sociological analysis of the topic, statistics, theories, discussion questions, sample research assignments and activities, and links to pertinent websites. Applying this approach prompts students to make connections between the individual and social and also helps them realize through the sociological perspective that individual examples are not necessarily generalizable. Students’ creativity, research, critical thinking, and synthesizing skills are also developed through the use of this book.
Gender, Marriage, and Families endorses a cross-cultural approach, and it combines gender, marriage, and families in a single book, both of which adding to its original, valuable features.
Part 1 Romantic Relationships and Marriages
CHAPTER 1. “We’re not together, but we’re together.” Online Relationships
CHAPTER 2. “How can you be married and not live together?” Commuter Marriages
CHAPTER 3. “He’s fi ne to be your friend.” Interracial Relationships
CHAPTER 4. “He didn’t mean it.” Domestic Abuse
CHAPTER 5. “I really want a child; I really don’t want a child.” Voluntary and Involuntary Childlessness
CHAPTER 6. “I like my own space.” Living Alone as a Growing “Family Form”
CHAPTER 7. “He just disappeared” Ghosting and Other Breakup Strategies
CHAPTER 8. “Is that too much?” Gender, Culture, and Social Class in Weddings
Part 2 Families with Children
CHAPTER 9. “That’s not for you.” Gender Socialization of Gender-Nonconforming Children
CHAPTER 10. “But we only did it once.” Teenage Pregnancy
CHAPTER 11. “We all need two parents. Or don’t we?” Single-Parent Families
CHAPTER 12. “Second shift, third shift, and more? Yes, I can do it all.” Working Women with Children
Part 3. Families around the World
CHAPTER 13. “Parenting from a world apart.” Transnational Families
CHAPTER 14. “But I just want to play.” Child Marriages
CHAPTER 15. “Do I deserve to die for this?” Adultery Across the Globe
CHAPTER 16. “I love her. And her. And her.” Polyamory and Polygamy
Dr. Orsolya Kolozsvari is a part-time instructor in the Sociology Department at the College of Coastal Georgia, where she teaches sociology courses including introductory and upper-level classes. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from Georgia State University and holds both a Master's degree and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and English from the University of Debrecen in Hungary.
Her teaching and research interests include gender, marriage and families, cognitive sociology, immigration, ethnic identity, and long-distance relationships. She is recognized for her engaging teaching style, particularly in online courses that emphasize lectures, class participation, and weekly assignments. Students frequently commend her clear organization, informative instructional videos, and constructive feedback.
Dr. Kolozsvari's scholarship examines issues of identity, relationships, and cultural dynamics, with research focusing on gender, family structures, cognitive sociology, and immigration. In addition to teaching, she remains active in the academic community through scholarly research and professional engagement, contributing to the study of contemporary sociological issues.
Gender, Marriage, & Families: From the Individual to the Social is an outstanding supplementary text centered on fourteen riveting case studies that draw students into the swirl of people's lives. Each case provides, first, a basis for classroom discussion ("What do you think will happen to Mackenzie, Janet, and Earl?"); and, second, an opportunity to build on the students' responses and explore the societal influences on the characters' sense of self and interactions ("Discuss the role of culture, ethnicity, and nationality . . . .") A notable strength of the book is the representation of complex situations and diverse family forms. These features and others make for a stimulating and enlightening volume.
Ralph LaRossa | Georgia State University
Professor Kolozsvari takes an unique approach in this text, introducing readers to sociological concepts through fictional vignettes. This format is especially beneficial for students who find concrete examples helpful in understanding topics. The stories, while fictional, are based on statistical truths. Kolozsvari is successful in keeping the readers' interest while simultaneously introducing key concepts, themes, and contemporary issues. My favorite aspect of this book is the wide range of topics it covers, from online relationships to single parents to polyamory. It is a creative approach to introducing students to some of the most contemporary, and often controversial, topics relating to marriage and the family today.
Following each chapter, the text provides thoughtful discussion questions and research assignments. Allowing space for the questions to be answered right in the book itself, this text would make a good companion workbook for a traditional text on marriage and the family.
As it is sometimes difficult to get students interested in assigned reading material, Kolozsvari has offered a potential solution, providing students with a fun and practical way to engage with the material.
Dr. Alison Hatch | Armstrong State University