This book challenges readers to become involved in a direct way in examining their personal belief systems and societal views of the many diverse forms that marriages and families have taken in the past and their evolution in the present. The authors use a broad, inclusive approach, focusing on the link between social structure and their personal experiences of marriages, families, and intimate relationships. Marriages and Families Over Time. Understanding Gender. Dating, Coupling, and Mate Selection. Sexuality and Intimate Relationships. Nonmarital Lifestyles. The Marriage Experience. Reproduction and Parenting. Violence and Abuse. Divorce in the United States. Remarriage and Remarried Families. Families in Later Life. For anyone who is interested in exploring marriage and family issues.