Synopses & Reviews
The world has changed since the first edition of this pioneering text was published in 1979, and with it the context of parenting has changed. Parents today must not just help their children learn socialization, but also teach them the skills and abilities they need to cope with the rapidly changing society of their future. Using the family systems model, the author explains how families function, how they strive to maintain stability over time, and how they change and adapt as children grow up.
The book offers the following pedagogical tools to help students prepare for their roles as professionals working with parents and families as well as becoming parents themselves:
- Frequently Asked Questions –allow students to see parenting concerns and issues not only through the eyes of a parent, but also those of a therapist who consults with the parent.
- Focus On –highlights information discussed in the chapter.
- Parenting Reflections –provide opportunities for readers to check their understanding of the content they’ve just read about. Also promotes critical thinking and encourages empathetic involvement with the parenting topics being discussed.
- Family Snapshots –These case studies throughout the book provide students with a broader understanding of how the various theories found in human development and family studies are applied to parent-child relations.
New To This Edition:
NEW: Includes expanded coverage of attachment between parents and children–Explains how it affects development of both adults and children.
- Increases student understanding of the importance of nurturance at all levels of development.
NEW! Gives a much greater emphasis on the cultural context of parenting throughout and especially in Chapters 1 and 2–Describes how parenting is shaped by family ecological and cultural factors.
- Provides for increased development of empathy and understanding of the global human development issues affecting parenting topics.
Note: This is the standalone book, if you want the book/access card order the ISBN listed below:
013704335X / 9780137043354 Parent-Child Relations: An Introduction to Parenting & MyVirtualChild -- Access Card
Package consists of:
0135002192 / 9780135002193 Parent-Child Relations: An Introduction to Parenting
0205690335 / 9780205690336 MyVirtualChild -- Standalone Access Card
Review
"The whole text does a nice job of balancing breadth and depth. It appears to stand above several other texts in the field in its conciseness, development of critical issues, and up-to-date research. It is interesting, highly readable, and provacative. This book appears appropriate for both undergraduate and graduate students. It is an important contribution to the field of parenting." Leo R. Sandy Plymouth State University "..I would consider adopting this text particularly because of its thorough coverage of realistic topics in the 21st century having to do with Parents and Children (of all ages)...right up to the inclusion of the topic of Children caring for their Parents..." Margaret A. Smedley, Ph.D. Cleveland State University "Overall, the book is well-written and informative for students. The focus on topics, focus questions, and many pictures are engaging and help to keep the reader's attention. The book coveras a variety of topics in a broad sweep." Vonda Jump Utah State University "I like the streamlined developmental sections and increased emphasis on theory and special issues." Jane Lanigan Washington State University
Synopsis
Parent-Child Relations: An Introduction to Parenting, Eighth Edition Jerry J. Bigner, Colorado State University
How is a family defined today? What are the functions of families in contemporary society?
Known for its interactive format and effective pedagogical features, this brief, user-friendly, research-driven book tackles the intricacies of parent-child relationships in contemporary society. Using family systems theory, the author examines the evolution of the family, the stages of family system development, and the challenges faced by all types of families. Readers will encounter a broad range of issues to help them prepare for their roles as professionals working with families or as parents themselves.
This is what reviewers had to say about the eighth edition of Parent-Child Relations:
“The whole text does a nice job of balancing breadth and depth . . . It is interesting, highly readable, and provocative.” Leo R. Sandy, Plymouth State University
“I would consider adopting this book particularly because of its thorough coverage of realistic topics in the 21st century having to do with parents and children (of all ages) . . .right up to the inclusion of the topic of children caring for their parents.” Margaret A. Smedley, Ph.D., Cleveland State University
“Overall, the book is well-written and informative. The topics, focus questions, and pictures are engaging and help to keep the reader’s attention. The book covers a variety of topics in a broad sweep. Vonda Jump, Utah State University
“I like the streamlined developmental sections and increased emphasis on theory and special issues.” Jane Lanigan, Washington State University
New to this edition
NEW: Includes expanded coverage of attachment between parents and children–Explains how it affects development of both adults and children.
- Increases student understanding of the importance of nurturance at all levels of development.
NEW! Gives a much greater emphasis on the cultural context of parenting throughout and especially in Chapters 1 and 2–Describes how parenting is shaped by family ecological and cultural factors.
- Provides for increased development of empathy and understanding of the global human development issues affecting parenting topics.
Synopsis
013704335X / 9780137043354 Parent-Child Relations: An Introduction to Parenting & MyVirtualChild -- Access Card
Package consists of:
0135002192 / 9780135002193 Parent-Child Relations: An Introduction to Parenting
0205690335 / 9780205690336 MyVirtualChild -- Standalone Access Card
About the Author
Jerry J. Bigner, PhD, is Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523, and retired in 2004 after 36 years of service in higher education. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of life-span human development, parent-child relations, theories of human development and family studies, marriage and family relationships, early childhood education, and research methods in human development and family studies. He also has completed all course work and practicum requirements in marriage and family therapy and continues to work towards licensure in this area. His text, Parent-Child Relations, is now in its 8th edition, and he has two published texts in life-span human development and family studies. He is the author or co-author of over 50 research articles focusing primarily on parent-child relations as well as relationship and family therapy issues. He is Editor of the Journal of GLBT Family Studies and serves on Editorial Board of the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy. He is a research member of the American Family Therapy Academy and is a member of the National Council on Family Relations. Dr. Bigner is a 2005 Centennial Laureate Award recipient of the College of Human Sciences, Florida State University. He also is the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient of the College of Human Sciences, Florida State University.
Table of Contents
PART I PARENT-CHILD RELATIONS IN SOCIAL CONTEXT
CHAPTER 1 Ecology of Parent-Child Relations
CHAPTER 2 Cultural Perspectives
CHAPTER 3 Theoretical Perspectives on Parent-Child Relations
CHAPTER 4 Parenting Strategies
PART II THE WORK OF PARENTING
CHAPTER 5 The Transition to Parenthood
CHAPTER 6 Pregnancy and Childbirth
CHAPTER 7 Parenting Infants and Toddlers
CHAPTER 8 Parenting Preschoolers
CHAPTER 9 Parenting School-Age Children
CHAPTER 10 Parenting Adolescents and Young Adults
PART III CHALLENGES FOR CONTEMPORARY PARENTS AND CHILDREN
CHAPTER 11 Parenting in Single-Parent Family Systems
CHAPTER 12 Parenting in Stepfamily Systems
CHAPTER 13 Homosexuality and Parenting
CHAPTER 14 Adolescent Parents
CHAPTER 15 Parent-Child Relations in High-Risk Families
REFERENCES INDEX