ABSTRACT
The family is a universal institution-present in all societies. It is in the family that certain transhistorical features of human life are most clearly and unambiguously illustrated. At the same time, when we examine the family historically we are struck by how familial activities and relations are intertwined with many other kinds of activities and relations. Family life must be understood as part of the culturallife as a whole. Among the most important features of society which interact with family is the organization of work and production and consumption. We shall call this constellation of forces the marketplace. Indeed, while sociologists have for many decades been studying the relationship between the economy and the family, psychological research, with a few exceptions (e.g., Piotrkowski, 1978) is noteworthy for the absence of a serious consideration of the world of work as it affects people's lives, directly or indirectly.
