Families Across Cultures
A 30-Nation Psychological Study

A detailed psychological study examining the changing role of the family across different cultures.

James Georgas (Edited by), John W. Berry (Edited by), Fons J. R. van de Vijver (Edited by), Çigdem Kagitçibasi (Edited by), Ype H. Poortinga (Edited by)

9780521822978, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 3 August 2006

580 pages, 1 map 28 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 3.7 cm, 1.02 kg

' … extraordinary book …' Journal of the Canadian Academy

Contemporary trends such as increased one-parent families, high divorce rates, second marriages and homosexual partnerships have all contributed to variations in the traditional family structure. But to what degree has the function of the family changed and how have these changes affected family roles in cultures throughout the world? This book attempts to answer these questions through a psychological study of families in thirty nations, carefully selected to present a diverse cultural mix. The study utilises both cross-cultural and indigenous perspectives to analyse variables including family networks, family roles, emotional bonds, personality traits, self-construal, and 'family portraits' in which the authors address common core themes of the family as they apply to their native countries. From the introductory history of the study of the family to the concluding indigenous psychological analysis of the family, this book is a source for students and researchers in psychology, sociology and anthropology.

Part I: 1. Families and family change James Georgas
2. Cross-cultural theory and methodology John W. Berry and Ype H. Poortinga
3. Theoretical perspectives on family change Çigdem Kagitçibasi
4. Family portraits from 30 countries: an overview Ype H. Poortinga and James Georgas
5. Hypotheses John W. Berry, Çigdem Kagitçibasi, James Georgas, Ype H. Poortinga and Fons J. R. van de Vijver
6. Methodology of the study James Georgas, Fons J. R. van de Vijver, John W. Berry, Çigdem Kagitçibasi and Ype H. Poortinga
7. Results: cross-cultural analyses of family Fons J. R. van de Vijver, Kostas Mylonas, Vassilis Pavlopoulos and James Georgas
8. Synthesis: how similar and different are families across cultures? James Georgas, John W. Berry, Çigdem Kagitçibasi, Ype H. Poortinga and Fons J. R. van de Vijver
Part II. The Family Portraits: Ethnographic Descriptions of 30 Nations: Algeria Mustafa M. Achoui
Botswana Adebowale Akande, Bolanle Adetoun and Johnston Osagie
Brazil Claudio V. Torres and Maria Auxiliadora Dessen
Bulgaria Velislava Marinova-Schmidt and Elena Krasteva
Canada Kyunghwa Kwak and John W. Berry
Chile Francisco Donoso-Maluf
China Peter W. H. Lee and Sunita Stewart
Cyprus Neophytos Charalambous
France Gérard Pithon and Olivier Prévôt
Georgia Nana Sumbadze
Germany Heidi Keller
Ghana Benjamin Amponsah, Charity Akotia and Akinsola Olowu
Greece Kostas Mylonas, Katerini Gari, Artemis Giotsa, Vassilis Pavlopoulos and Penny Panagiotopoulou
India Janak Pandey
Indonesia Bernadette N. Setiadi
Iran Shahrenaz Mortazavi
Japan Yukiko Muramoto
Mexico Rolando Diaz-Loving
Mongolia Tuya Buyantsogt
Netherlands Peter Cuyvers
Nigeria Yuwanna Jenny Mivanyi
Pakistan Riffat Moazam Zaman, Taymiya Riffat Zaman and Sunita Stewart
Saudi Arabia Mustafa M. Achoui
Spain Hector Grad
South Africa Adebowale Akande, Bolanle Adetoun and Maggie Tserere
South Korea Uichol Kim and Young-Shin Park
Turkey Bilge Ataca
Ukraine Irina Zhuravliova-Gionis
United Kingdom Robin Goodwin, Sophia Christakopoulou and Vicky Panagiotidou
United States Lia Softas-Nall and Denis G. Sukhodolsky.

Subject Areas: Psychology [JM], Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC]