ABSTRACT

This third edition of Family Communication carefully examines state-of-the art research and theories of family communication and family relationships. In addition to presenting contemporary cutting-edge research, it also includes extensive presentation and application of classic theories and findings in family science that have informed current day understandings of essential family processes. With over 2,500 references, 800 of which are new to this edition, Family Communication represents a current and comprehensive presentation of principled research conducted throughout the world for both students and teachers of family communication. Professionals who work with families and seek an evidence-based understanding of functional and dysfunctional family processes will also find this text useful.

The third edition provides instructors and students with a rich set of resources including:

  • Chapter Specific Resource Guides (chapter outlines, guiding questions, multiple choice, essay, and discussion questions, as well as numerous media resources and links)
  • Chapter Specific PowerPoint Slides
  • Sample Syllabus

This edition addresses long-standing questions (e.g., how to maintain a marriage, how to build resiliency in remarriages and stepfamilies) and prioritizes research on a variety of family relationships beyond the couple and parent–child relationship, while also exploring new research on romantic relationship pathways, same-sex marriage and divorce, parenting trends, as well as military families, adoptive families, and families with a transgender member. It also examines the complex relationship between family communication and mental health as well as powerful and potentially surprising findings on the connections between family interaction and physical health.

part I|1 pages

Introducing Family Communication and Basic Family Processes

chapter 3|23 pages

Family Discourse and Identity

Stories, Secrets, and Rituals

chapter 4|24 pages

Family Communication Patterns and Processes

Power, Decision Making, and Conflict

part II|1 pages

Communication in Family Subsystems

chapter 6|29 pages

Marriage and Committed Relationships

chapter 7|27 pages

Parent–Child Communication

chapter 8|19 pages

Sibling Communication

chapter 9|21 pages

Extended Family Relationships

part III|1 pages

Communication during Family Stress

chapter 10|22 pages

Models of Family Stress and Coping

chapter 11|23 pages

Normative and Nonnormative Family Stressors

chapter 12|26 pages

Divorce

chapter 13|28 pages

Renegotiating Family Communication

Remarriage and Stepfamilies

part IV|1 pages

Family Interaction, Health, and Well-Being

chapter 14|26 pages

Family Interaction and Mental Health

chapter 15|29 pages

Family Interaction and Physical Health

chapter 16|27 pages

Family Violence and Abuse