Volume IV, Issue 2: Fall 2007

The 21st Century Family

This issue of Greater Good gets past overheated rhetoric to discover what recent research shows about how the American family is changing, and how this transformation has impacted all of our lives. Some of the contributors to this issue are famed scholars who have studied the family extensively; others are ordinary people who have seen their typically atypical families go through some extensive changes. What they have in common is a willingness to confront these changes head-on and seek real solutions to the problems they confront. Their essays offer suggestions for how contemporary families can still thrive during this period of intense change.

Table of Contents

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In Brief
Altruism and voting
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Can we get happier?
Why guilt may be good
And more

Columns
Brain Teaser: Does classical music make babies smarter?
Body Language: Obama vs. Clinton [PDF]
Social Intelligence: Daniel Goleman uploads social intelligence.

Symposium on "The 21st Century Family"

The Family Revolution
The last century has seen a transformation of marriage and family life. But to address new challenges, argues Stephanie Coontz, we can't delude ourselves into thinking there ever was a Golden Age for couples and families.
Sidebar: "New Families, Few Role Models," by Joshua Coleman
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Binuclear Family
Divorce is painful for children, but Ruth Bettelheim urges us to see what kids can gain when one family becomes two.
Sidebar: "Helping Kids Be Kids," by Joanne Pedro-Carroll
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Q&A: A Better Way [PDF]
An interview with The Good Divorce author, Constance Ahrons
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New Americans, New Families
At a time when people are lamenting the death of the American family, Ross D. Parke, Scott Coltrane, and Thomas Schofield discovered that many of its ideals are alive and well and they're being imported from Mexico.
Sidebar: "Together Until the End," by Rona Fernandez
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Does Barbie Need a Man?
Research shows that the children of gay and lesbian parents are normal. But Amie K. Miller's family still faces some unique challenges.
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Playground Pioneers
Kids will destroy your life, reports Jeremy Adam Smith. But don't worry, parents: You'll get a new one.
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Features

Peace Among Primates
by Robert M. Sapolsky
Anyone who says peace is not part of human nature knows too little about primates, including ourselves.
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Circles of Care
by Matthew Wheeland
Before Alzheimer's becomes a national crisis, new programs are trying to ease the pain and stress of caring for a loved one with the disease.
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In Review

Print:
The End of Childhood?
New books say kids should play more and work less; plus, evolution for everyone, the changeable brain, and more.
Culture:
Does The Secret offer winning advice ... or snake oil? Maybe a bit of both.
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An Idea for the Greater Good
Everett L. Worthington Jr. explains why we need humility.

Resources for the Greater Good [PDF]
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