ABSTRACT
The concept of this book originated at an international conference celebrating the United Nations Year of the Family held in Jerusalem in the early summer of 1994. The major purpose of the conference was to contribute to the understanding and dissemination of information concerning past, present, and future trends in family life. An outstanding interdisciplinary roster of researchers and practitioners from all over the world presented their findings and drew implications about family life as the third millennium approaches. As conference chairperson, I requested the invited speakers to submit chapters prior to the conference dealing with the topic they would present. They were told that this volume would deal with contemporary family theory, research, and intervention and that their contribution would undergo editorial review to determine its suitability for the present volume. The contents of this book, therefore, are scholarly contributions representing the latest developments in research, theory, and practice in family studies.
