Synopsis
Completely revised and expanded from four to five volumes, this new edition of the Handbook of Parenting appears at a time that is momentous in the history of parenting. Parenting and the family are today in a greater state of flux, question, and redefinition than perhaps ever before. We are witnessing the emergence of striking permutations on the theme of parenting: blended families, lesbian and gay parents, and teen versus fifties first-time moms and dads. One cannot but be awed on the biological front by technology that now not only renders postmenopausal women capable of childbearing, but also presents us with the possibility of designing babies. Similarly on the sociological front, single parenthood is a modern day fact of life, adult child dependency is on the rise, and parents are ever less certain of their own roles, even in the face of rising environmental and institutional demands that they take increasing responsibility for their offspring.
The Handbook of Parenting concerns itself with:
*different types of parents--mothers and fathers, single, adolescent, and adoptive parents;
*basic characteristics of parenting--behaviors, knowledge, beliefs, and expectations about parenting;
*forces that shape parenting--evolution, genetics, biology, employment, social class, culture, environment, and history;
*problems faced by parents--handicap, marital difficulties, drug addiction; and
*practical concerns of parenting--how to promote children's health, foster social adjustment and cognitive competence, and interact with school, legal, and public officials.
Contributors to the Handbook of Parenting have worked in different ways toward understanding all these diverse aspects of parenting, and all look to the most recent research and thinking in the field to shed light on many topics every parent wonders about.
Each chapter addresses a different but central topic in parenting; each is rooted in current thinking and theory, as well as classical and modern research in that topic; each has been written to be read and absorbed in a single sitting. In addition, each chapter follows a standard organization, including an introduction to the chapter as a whole, followed by historical considerations of the topic, a discussion of central issues and theory, a review of classical and modern research, forecasts of future directions of theory and research, and a set of conclusions. Of course, contributors' own convictions and research are considered, but contributions to this new edition present all major points of view and central lines of inquiry and interpret them broadly.
The Handbook of Parenting is intended to be both comprehensive and state of the art. As the expanded scope of this second edition amply shows, parenting is naturally and closely allied with many other fields.
Booknews
This is Volume 5 of the new edition of what is now a five-volume reference (the publication date, and the number of volumes in the first edition are not stated). The set is intended as a resource for professionals in the many fields that deal with families, and the contributed articles survey research and include extensive bibliographies on the subjects under consideration. Each of the five volumes emphasizes somewhat different themes. The fifth volume comprises 19 contributions on the nuts and bolts of parenting as well as the promotion of positive parenting practices. Topics include the ethics of parenting, attachment, child compliance, the development of children's self-regulation, children's prosocial and moral development, maximizing children's cognitive abilities, parenting talented children, play in parent-child interactions, everyday stresses, parents and children's peer relationships, health promotion, and the related social institutions such as schools, media, doctors, law and public policy. Editor Bornstein, who is also one of the authors, is affiliated with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; contributions are from experts in psychology, human development, and education. There is no price or ISBN for the complete five-volume set. Subject and author indexes for the whole set are included in each volume. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)