Katherine R. Allen is Professor of Human Development at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, where she is a faculty affiliate of the Center for Gerontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. Dr. Allen is also a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and an inaugural Fellow of the National Council on Family Relations. Her research examines family diversity over the life course. She is the author of numerous scholarly articles and books on topics related to family theory, research, and practice.

Acknowledgments viii

About the Website ix

1 What Is Theory? 1

2 Functionalist Theory 20

3 Conflict Theory 41

4 Symbolic Interactionist Theory 61

5 Family Developmental Theory 82

6 Family Systems Theory 103

7 Social Exchange Theory 124

8 Feminist Theory 145

9 Life Course Theory 166

10 Family Ecological Theory 187

11 Family Stress and Resilience Theory 209

12 Conclusion 230

Glossary 243

Index 249

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