PART 1     FOUNDATIONS OF FAMILY STUDY   1. THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES IN FAMILY STUDIES   How Can Families Be Defined? Nuclear Families Extended Families Types of Union and Marriage Relevance of Definitions   Why Is a Multidisciplinary Approach Helpful?   What Theoretical Perspectives Inform Family Studies? Structural Functionalism Social Exchange and Rational Theories Symbolic Interactionism Interactional-Transactional Perspectives Developmental (Life-Course) Perspectives Social Constructionism Behaviour Genetics   Why Is Feminism a Particularly Important Perspective?   The Analysis of Gender Stratification and Gender Roles Feminist Analyses of the Family   What Are the Main Themes in the Text?   What Methods Are Used in Family Research? Qualitative and Quantitative Methods An Example of Qualitative Methods: Students' Autobiographies   Conclusions: Unity in Diversity   2. HISTORICAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES ON FAMILY LIFE   Canadian Families of the Past Early First Nations Families Families of New France Families during British Colonial Rule First Nations Families Under French and British Rule Early Black-Canadian Families Industrialization and Settling the West   Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Families The Marriage Law and the One-Child Policy in China Arranged Marriages in India Family Solidarity in Cuba   Conclusions: Pe