THE MARRIAGE & FAMILY EXPERIENCE is a realistic look at relationships today. These experienced authors will help you see and understand the underlying issues at work in marriages, families, and all kinds of relationships. Real-life cross-cultural examples and features that encourage you to look deeper at yourself make the Tenth Edition accessible and compelling_this is a book you can relate to and one you will want to read! The book presents the latest information on adoptive parenting, childbearing patterns, gay and lesbian families, the meaning of virginity, gender roles and sexuality, communication and conflict resolution, the influence of popular culture, and working families. With thorough and compelling coverage of all kinds of today's families and relationships, the book dispels myths about gender differences and gives you a realistic and comprehensive overview of the concepts and topics you'll need to succeed in your course.

UNIT 1. MEANINGS OF MARRIAGE & FAMILY
1. The Meaning of Marriage and the Family
2. Studying Marriages and Families
3. Differences: Historical and Contemporary Variations in American Family Life

UNIT 2. INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
4. Gender and Family
5. Friendship, Love, and Intimacy
6. Understanding Sexuality
7. Communication, Power, and Conflict

UNIT 3. FAMILY LIFE
8. Singlehood, Pairing, and Cohabitation
9. Marriages in Societal and Individual Perspective
10. Should We or Shouldn't We? Choosing Whether and How to Have Children
11. Experiencing Parenthood: Roles & Relationships of Parents and Children
12. Marriage, Work, and Economics

UNIT 4. FAMILY CHALLENGES AND STRENGTHS
13. Family Violence and Sexual Abuse
14. Coming Apart: Separation and Divorce
15. New Beginnings: Single-Parent Families, Remarriages, and Blended Families

Appendix A. Sexual Structure and Sexual Response Cycle
Appendix B. Pregnancy, Conception, and Fetal Development
Appendix C. The Budget...UNIT 1. MEANINGS OF MARRIAGE & FAMILY
1. The Meaning of Marriage and the Family
2. Studying Marriages and Families
3. Differences: Historical and Contemporary Variations in American Family Life

UNIT 2. INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
4. Gender and Family
5. Friendship, Love, and Intimacy
6. Understanding Sexuality
7. Communication, Power, and Conflict

UNIT 3. FAMILY LIFE
8. Singlehood, Pairing, and Cohabitation
9. Marriages in Societal and Individual Perspective
10. Should We or Shouldn't We? Choosing Whether and How to Have Children
11. Experiencing Parenthood: Roles & Relationships of Parents and Children
12. Marriage, Work, and Economics

UNIT 4. FAMILY CHALLENGES AND STRENGTHS
13. Family Violence and Sexual Abuse
14. Coming Apart: Separation and Divorce
15. New Beginnings: Single-Parent Families, Remarriages, and Blended Families

Appendix A. Sexual Structure and Sexual Response Cycle
Appendix B. Pregnancy, Conception, and Fetal Development
Appendix C. The Budget Process