Contemporary Families: An Equity Lens

Reviewed by Ann Obermann, Associate Professor & Online Education Coordinator, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 5/21/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text does a really great job introducing the concept of family, the multiple systems involved in family life, social justice issues that impact families, and family concepts like partnering and belonging. Each chapter did a nice job for a comprehensive introduction into these topics. I would have liked a more comprehensive introduction to share how the authors felt the book fits together and why they chose to organize it the way that they did. I liked hearing about the book’s creation, that was really interesting.
I did not see an index or glossary included in the 1e version. The 2e version has a glossary.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Book is accurate and up to date. Has current links, references, and data points.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This text provides relevant up to date material addressing families in US society. It addresses current and historical biases that impact family functioning, the definition of family, family services/systems, and those working with families. I sought for this book specifically because of how it addresses the concept of family within context of systemic oppression. It is one of few books that addresses families from a systemic and critical lens. I appreciate the multiple voices in this book (including students!!) and their statements of positionality. Having the first chapter set the stage with introducing social construction and families set the stage for the entire book and is foundational in how I use the text in a social work course.
There were comments about Covid and other recent events.
There is a new edition: https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/families2nd2e/part/main-body/

Clarity rating: 5

I love the "definition links" in 1e. This is super helpful for students’ comprehension thru repetition. The writing is clear and avoids jargon or overally academic writing. I liked the examples being more modern and the images were clear. I missed the “definition links” in the 2e version, but maybe these are not accessible to screen readers?
Consistency: 1e and 2e had consistent language and formatting. It was predictable from chapter to chapter and easy to follow.

Consistency rating: 5

1e and 2e had consistent language and formatting. It was predictable from chapter to chapter and easy to follow.

Modularity rating: 4

There is some reference to other chapters and sections of the book, though I find this more helpful than not. I think it would be very easy to adapt this resource to my own course, using chapters on social construction for instance. It was a self-contained chapter that would allow for remixing.
Maybe a little more “break up” with formatting to avoid the longer text passages. Sometimes there are images and graphics which is helpful in learning but also just for the break from text is the visual presentation.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

I enjoyed reading through this book. For my class, I would organize it differently, but it was well done. Some of the sections could flow into each other more or maybe indent or some type of formatting that helps the subheadings/headings, etc. I know that the numbers do that with 9.2.1, etc. but sometimes a visual organization of hierarchy could be helpful.
From the 1e to the 2e version – the 2e version does a much better job of saying what each chapter and then each section will cover in a paragraph in the beginning. I enjoyed the “questions” posed in the 1e version, and maybe those could be offered as “discussion questions” at the end of the chapter for review or conversation. The 2e version has objectives, which are really helpful when there are long sections of text.
It would be helpful, in addition to the book name, if able, to list the chapter at the top of all pages within the chapter. Then you can remember which chapter you are in, even if it clearly has the number of the chapter list.
I like the bolded words for the important concepts in 2e.
Attributions in 1e in the blue box was helpful – as it is a lot of text and break up the references, etc. It stayed in a box for 2e but not blue.
I liked the “In Focus” sections – good formatting and broke up the text length in 2e
Like in 2e that the author put the social justice issue chapters all together at the end. This flowed much better in my mind.

Interface rating: 5

I did not observe any interface issues. I used Chrome to view the online book and I downloaded a PDF. Both were easy to access.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not observe any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This is why I wanted to use parts of this book. So many other family books do NOT include discussion of social construction and systemic oppression that impacts families. I like how they applied Justice, Housing, etc. to families as well, this also helped further explain oppression in systems and their impact on families. In addition, chapters 4, 5, & 6 did a lovely job of explaining culture as it relates to connection, belonging, and expression. It wasn’t an “alternative” lens, but just simply about family culture and how this plays out. I really appreciate the “tone” of discussing families and limiting the use of words like traditional or alternative families.

Comments

I am so thankful for the efforts of this author and their coauthors! It was well done and I will be using it in my social work families course. It aligns really well with social work CSWE EPAS 2022 competencies. Also the newer edition, 2e, seems to have integrated many of the comments that I was going to make in the review here, especially the chapter primers and overviews - this was very helpful. In addition, having the "table of contents" being able to freeze on the left pane was very helpful when wanting to go back and forth on different areas. Really appreciate the consistent integration of human rights framework and NOT using words like alternative and traditional. A much needed resource.

Reviewed by Sharon Methvin, Instructor, Mt. Hood Community College on 8/17/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Text covers the key areas for family in the US and the equity issues. I love the embedded videos. The sections on food and water are great editions to address and not often covered.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Text is well supported and points are backed with references.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Content and issues are up to date. The graphs are in much need of updating. The images could have better consistency in size and style.

Clarity rating: 5

Easy to follow and the writing style and content are appropriate for a community college student.

Consistency rating: 4

Some sections vary in length and it would be better to strive for more consistency in the next ed. I would also love to see an embedded video for each section instead of random. These are a real asset of the text.

Modularity rating: 5

Sections can be easily cut for time constraints and moved around in the course as needed.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

I am not sure that the art section really works well as is. I would tie it into the data on visual and performing arts, book readings etc. in relation to family living situations.

Interface rating: 5

I love most of the images, but I would strive for more consistency in size and style and update the graphs.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Well done on this point.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Authors do a great job including diversity both in the examples provided and the authors included.

Comments

The text drops off at the end after the section on water. I would move the future discussions that are found earlier to the very end and develop a greater future focus at the end of the text. I love the videos that are only a click away.

Reviewed by Sydney Hart, Professor, City Colleges of Chicago on 5/26/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

While there is much to admire in this text, I cannot recommend it for a sociology of families course as the main source. It would make a fantastic supplement. It is a really good book outside of the specific requirements of a sociology of families course.
Although brief, the text does an excellent job of introducing some key sociological terms like social construction, intersectionality, the sociological imagination, and Goffman's stigma. It's coverage of research methods is concise and excellent. I don't have many quibbles with its brief explanation of family theories, either. It maintains its foci of social construction and equity throughout the work in a clear and understandable manner, making good use of contemporary data, including Covid information. The coverage of history and policies on the social institutions in each chapter is outstanding and there are often causes for in the "Looking Ahead" segment of each chapter.
However, it really reads like a social problems text with a brief nod to families. For example, the chapter on health discusses health disparities, but not really in the context of families. The chapter on housing does a great job of explaining inequities but only mentions issues of domestic violence or effects on children in passing. Even when addressing families directly, like where families live, the focus seems to shift from families to a more generalized inequity.
The chapter on Connections is the closest to what I would expect in a traditional family textbook. It does lean a little more to psychology than sociology, but overall does a fine job of introducing ideas. This chapter could have provided more depth. The other sections I found directly addressing family issues is in the Justice chapter with the student essay "Real Laws, Real Families" and the final chapter about food and water.
There is simply too much missing--including a focus on equity, domestic labor, and work; domestic violence; divorce; effects of education on marital rates and success; the choice (or forced birth) of children, including alternative inseminations; etc. These topics would have fit in well with the equity and social construction themes of the book.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I caught just a few minor errors--defining the nuclear family as having "several children," the idea that a gendered division of labor (identified as separate spheres) came about during industrialization. Mostly, however, there is a high level of accurate content. Given the strong emphasis on equity, I think that the text is relatively unbiased (as unbiased as it can be!).

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This book is up-to-date and focuses on many key issues of interest to students, especially in the context of a social problems course. Some of it also is highly relevant in a sociology of families course.

Clarity rating: 5

The writing and organization is clear and inviting. My community college students could easily manage the vocabulary and the personable tone would draw them in to the content.

Consistency rating: 5

The paired themes of social construction and equity are consistent and tie each chapter together into a coherent whole. The format from chapter to chapter is also easy to follow, even with the switch to mostly student authors in the last couple of chapters.

Modularity rating: 5

Each chapter could be separated and used on its own as long as the teaching professor reviews the ideas of social construction and equity. This would not need to be a long review! The text avoids redundancy in these definitions, so might need a sentence or two from a prof just to ensure everyone is clear on the definitions of these two key terms.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Especially because the text is highly modular, the organization makes sense. And if the teaching professor doesn't care for the organization, they can rearrange it! Each chapter is similarly organized so that the reader can predict what will come next.

Interface rating: 5

Each key term is linked to a definition. There are several other links to additional information, articles, and videos. This is a fantastic feature of this text!

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Although I was not proofreading for grammatical errors, I did not notice any.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

With an equity focus and an inclusion of intersectional analysis, this text does a great job of "marking the unmarked category," showing the reader how whiteness, masculinity, cis-gender, heterosexual, and middle-to-upper class statuses are used to create norms. It then provides multiple examples from a wide variety of groups that shows how these norms can harm others and how others have constructed different ways of living in the world even in the face of hegemonic norms.

Comments

I feel a little bad about the low score for the comprehensiveness category. I am faulting the book for not being the book I need, which may not be fair. Because it seems like the text is written for a sociology of families course, I had to be clear about what I thought. Nevertheless, this is an excellenet text and I am anticipating using many parts of it in my upcoming teaching.

Reviewed by Sadie Pendaz-Foster, Sociology Instructor, Inver Hills Community College on 6/28/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This was a very comprehensive book from the perspective through which the material was presented. There were so many things to consider in the book in terms of how axes of inequality and social institutions, as places of reproduction for social life and social inequality, overlap with families. Two areas that I was the most impressed by in the book were the attention to sleep and how sleep impacts the health of families (and individuals within them) as a part of the section on health care and health equity and the attention paid to the war on drugs. As this book incorporated some discussion of the larger framework of social problems into the introductory structure of the book, it was very comprehensive in this macro-to-micro connection sense regarding the role of families and overlap (again) of families to social inequalities.

Generally speaking, and extending beyond this, the book was also comprehensive in the the goal of connecting social inequality to the social construction of family life.

The reason that I gave the book a "4" and not a "5" is because if a person was using just this book as a resource for a typical "family sociology" course they would likely be missing some areas of content around topics like single-parenting, dating & courtship, remarriage & divorce and the like. While the book outlines that there is "no longer a dominant family form in the United States" as a keystone feature of the material, often course objectives for a family sociology course require more depth than on an assortment of topics (including those I mentioned above and others) that just were not expanded in the book, though a person could certainly use the conceptual and theoretical framework, and especially the emphasis on social construction as a dominant feature of the book, to anchor those discussions.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I would say the content is absolutely very accurate, error-free and unbiased, though one thing I did notice was that there were places where students might come with some assumptions or arguments (using a quote from Michele Obama, for example, might create the commentary that the associated content was political). Again, this can be easily remedied with discussion out setting-up for students, but, depending on the associated student audience, it may be important to acknowledge those places.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Here one (small) concern would be with the potential for "link rot" with some of the embedded YouTube links.

The book was very up-to-date using examples about COVID-19 precautions as a source of disagreement among spouses, featuring artwork that incorporates the murder of George Floyd, and many other very contemporary resources and examples. Even so, as contemporary and up-to-date as those feel in this particular moment, it's hard to say if they will age quickly even in the next few years.

One thing that might be important to note in a different aspect to considering relevance is that the book was written in Oregon, and in the section on "Water" following a discussion of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, there's a feature entitled, "Could this happen in Oregon?" There may have been other sections in a similar fashion in the book that I overlooked, but what I wanted to say about this is that an instructor teaching in another area of the country might have to be aware to update or modify that section for their relevant geographic/social area and at least know it's coming up in the book so that they can keep it relevant for their student audience.

Clarity rating: 5

Yes - the book was written well and the repeated emphasis on social construction as a way to orient the book and the content was very effective. Even if some of the theories and that repetition of content with regard to social construction may seem jargon-y, it's necessary to effective understanding, as well as helpful in continued examples and reinforcement of those ideas.

Consistency rating: 5

Yes, and, again, I come back to the way that the authors used the framework of social construction with continued emphasis.

Modularity rating: 4

Yes, this was very effective and relates also to the aspects of organization. The framing questions at the start of chapters also helped with the break-out and organization of the book.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

I'm not sure I would assign the chapters in the exact order as they are presented, but that's not something that is on the authors as much as reflects another comment I had made about the book's organization and what is left out of it being important to cover in terms of needed course objectives and learning objectives for the material.

One thing that may have been helpful would be some explanation of what wasn't prominently featured, especially in terms of chapters. For instance, there wasn't a chapter on work and organizations and their overlap with families, which is an important issue of justice and equity also (and is sometimes combined with considerations of things like education as well). Maybe understanding what the logic of these exclusions were would be helpful in terms of understanding the overall comprehensiveness of the book.

Interface rating: 5

This was good! I liked how the definitions populated when you hover your mouse over key terms and also that there was a nice integration of multi-media implements that instructors could use (or not) for students as requirements. Even if instructors did not assign these as a mandatory part of the reading and review, students can still see and engage them if they want to as well.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I didn't notice anything that would rise to the level of either significant or minor errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Since the book's entire objective is to enhance the understanding of family life as it relates to justice and diversity (in the United States, at least) the book does a good job at these representations, especially in making central the normalization of diverse family forms, including interracial and LGBTQ+ families and also showing the relevant legal and political histories and social movements that were attendant these histories and that bring us to the contemporary realities for these families.

Comments

The structure of this book gave me a lot to think about in terms of how I could use something like this while bringing in the other course requirements in my teaching. It was really a thought-provoking resource to examine, and I haven't had something challenge me in terms of the taken-for-granted structure of the way I teach families for a while. There were topics that I have seen as attendant to a social problems or a social inequalities class easily and readily incorporated into this material in ways I hadn't previously considered so this was just a really invaluable book to review in that regard.

Another comment I wanted to make about the book is that I really appreciated the authorship of the book including students!!

Reviewed by Eunice Brekke, Associate Professor, Leeward Community College on 4/19/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This is a thorough treatment of contemporary families with a solid introduction of core concepts and theory. Overall, key elements of contemporary issues are addressed and the table of contents is easy to use.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The authors do not present bias and the content is accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The smart use of videos and content links makes this attractive to students and any updates should be fairly easy.

Clarity rating: 5

This is one of the book's greatest strengths - it is very accessible and conveys complex ideas in a way that students can understand.

Consistency rating: 5

The title of the book "an equity lens" is a consistent theme throughout.

Modularity rating: 5

The layout and organization is very well laid out - it will not overwhelm.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Although different, I particularly like the addition of food and health as contemporary issues that many families face.

Interface rating: 5

The text is easy to navigate and visuals are used well.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There are no issues with grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

While no text can address all cultures, the text does not offend and it does include diversity as something to pay attention to.

Comments

Great read! I can see how much work and passion the authors put into this. Thank you!

Reviewed by Isabelle Havet, Instructor, Linn-Benton Community College on 1/12/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text is very comprehensive, covering a variety of topics relating to contemporary families thoroughly, and from multiple angles. The authors take pains to provide different perspectives on topics, by raising questions, presenting different methods or theories for approaching topics, and including many clarifying examples. While comprehensive, the textbook could easily be expanded to include additional chapters since the bulk of chapters are thematic. I also greatly appreciate the authors' emphasis on diversity, and providing examples that show different experiences and perspectives.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The text appears accurate, error free, and unbiased. The authors make it clear that they seek to present materials in a multi-faceted and unbiased way, presenting different experiences, perspectives, and points of view.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The authors present content that is highly relevant to the contemporary reader. Each chapter is subdivided by topics and key concepts, and text descriptions are accompanied by many examples and illustrations. The examples and illustrations are far-ranging. For example, in the chapter on Visual Culture, examples range from image-making in the Paleolithic era to 21st-century street art. The text is structured in a way that necessary updates would be relatively straightforward to implement, for example by introducing even newer, more relevant examples and case studies.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is clear and prose accessible. Chapters are highly-structured and broken down by sub-topic. This makes reading the text manageable, and the material very digestible. This clarity is commendable given the broad subject of the book, and the very big and complex topics of the chapters (such as Chapter 1: Social Constructions and Chapter 2: Studying Families). While the text covers an almost dizzying number of topics and issues, the content never feels overwhelming. Key concepts and technical terminology are clearly defined. Another important factor that makes the text accessible are the numerous examples and illustrations that are provided throughout the text. I found the preview questions included at the beginning of each chapter to be very useful in understanding key issues and stimulating thought. I can see these being very useful in generating class discussions as well.

Consistency rating: 5

The chapters are very consistent in framework and layout. The reader is able to anticipate how topics will be presented and follow along easily. Preview questions are also helpful in understanding the framework and "big questions" of each chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

The text could easily broken down into sections. While the first chapter lays out many core concepts, the reader could pick and choose which chapters or sub-topics of chapters to read without encountering difficulties. The index with chapter headings and sub-headings is also useful.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

One of the great strengths of the book is its clear organization. The text is anchored by core chapters (especially 1 & 2), followed by chapters addressing different topics related to the contemporary family. This modular format is easy to understand and follow. While I am able to see the logical progression of chapters, especially 1-3, I would have no problem skipping back and forth through the text.

Interface rating: 5

The text is easy to navigate. While there are many illustrations, charts, and tables, these do not distract from the text or present technical issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

The book is well-written and clear for the most part. There are some minor grammatical errors and inconsistencies in Chapter 6: Visual Culture. For example, the text sometimes is inconsistent in using terms such as "art," sometimes fluctuating between "art," and somewhat awkward terms like "art piece." A quick edit of the chapter could easily smooth out these minor inconsistencies.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is very inclusive, which is one of its greatest strengths. Topics are approached with an eye towards equity and diversity. Many different voices and experiences are represented throughout. All chapters are presented in a way that squarely centers inclusion. For example, Chapter 1, in presenting social constructions of families, emphasizes the fact that there is no "one size fits all" in the nature or composition of contemporary families. This is a welcome and refreshing perspective, and much needed. I also note that the text is inclusive in its design; it features multiple authors, including student authors, who lend their voices and unique perspectives. The "team structure" approach works well.

Comments

This textbook could be valuable to a diverse readership. While centered on studying the family, I believe that different chapters could be useful to readers in working in a variety of disciplines or contexts, or who have different interests. The Chapter on Visual Culture, for example, could be valuable for educators and students in art or art history, who wish to study the impact of art in contemporary culture. The chapter is an important contribution to visual studies, and expands and corrects some existing Eurocentric visual culture readers. The squarely inter-disciplinary approach of the authors has the potential to open many fruitful dialogues with diverse audiences.

Reviewed by June Morris, Instructor, Linn-Benton Community College on 1/6/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I like how terms are defined and hyperlinked.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This topic is strongly presented. The topic is relevant and to the contemporary reader who desires to learn more about equity and issues around families in the modern US, it is unbiased. The writing is factual and well-supported.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content is highly relevant, touching on all aspects of identity, utilizing very timely references to events and contemporary personalities (Cardi B!).

The content is arranged is an extremely easy to read manner, with generous white space, large boxed quotes, and photos that really stand out. It is clear that some of the photos are from an open resource but it also seems likely that the author took many of the photos themselves. This text is presented in a warm, invited way; it draws the reader in with easy to read chunks of text and lively, interesting visuals that capture our modern, evolving society. There are some well-known graphics (Maslow's Hierarchy) and some images that students (especially younger ones) will find familiar from social media and memes.

Clarity rating: 5

The writing is academic and informative but accessible via the hyperlinks and clear explanations of the language of sociology.

Consistency rating: 5

Each chapter is arranged in a consistent manner. The reader is able to correctly anticipate the organization of each chapter after reading the first chapter or two. Also, the use of preview questions provides a solid framework for understanding each chapter's purpose.

Modularity rating: 5

If a student were to utilize the table of contents, they would see that each chapter is consistently organized into modular sub-units. Even the more academically-rich sections of the earlier chapters, the material is organized into easy-to-manage chunks and could easily be used in a different context.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The only chapter that seems out of place is that of "food and water" at the end, after topics such as "beauty" and "justice". But to be honest, I am not sure how one could re-organize the chapters more effectively. The text begins with chapters on "social constructions" and "studying families" which are the foundational chapters, but each chapter is highly important to the study of the contemporary family.

Interface rating: 5

The book provided no distracting elements. The content flows easily from section to section.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The writing is clear and correct in all ways.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The author has taken extraordinary care to ensure that many voices are represented and a wealth of experiences are represented. The author presents the information bluntly, but with a clear compassion toward the experiences on which she draws for content.

Comments

I REALLY enjoyed reading this book, from cover to cover. I do not have much educational experience with sociology, but the content in this text piqued my interest significantly. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand the ever-changing and complex nature of contemporary families.