Gender, marriage, and family in post-industrial society: An international perspective

Abstract

The family retains a central position across societies, despite massive changes wrought largely by globalization and other macrosocial forces. As a basic social unit and institution, the family performs many functions for both its members and the larger society, including reproduction, socialization of children, economic support, and care for the young, the ill, and the aged. The family's relative ability or inability to perform these functions well can ease or exacerbate a host of social problems. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009.