Taking an historical, cross-cultural, and global approach, this book focuses on the link between social structure and theeveryday livesof people's diverse experiences of marriages, families, and intimate relationships.Marriages and Families Over Time. Ways of Studying and Explaining Marriages and Families. Understanding Gender: Its Influence In Intimate Relationships. The Many Faces of Love. Dating, Coupling, and Mate Selection. Sexuality and Intimate Relationships. Non-marital Lifestyles. The Marriage Experience. Reproduction and Parenting. Evolving Work and Family Structures. Violence and Abuse. The Process of Uncoupling: Divorce in the United States. Remarriage and Remarried Families. Families in Later Life. Marriages and Families in the Twenty-first Century: U.S. and World Trends.For anyone interested in marriage and family dynamics, including individuals, counselors, nurses, social workers, home economists, etc.