Now with the AI-powered study tool

Exploring Marriages and Families, 4th edition

Published by Pearson (July 30, 2024) © 2025

  • Karen Seccombe Portland State University

In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.

In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.

In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.

Title overview

Exploring Marriages and Families helps you gain a thorough understanding of the social context in which we live and the relevance of social science to our lives. Capturing the compelling issues of our time, author Karen Seccombe places individual relationships in proper social context so that you can better understand why we make the choices we do.

The 4th Edition offers updated coverage of contemporary issues that are relevant to today’s readers, including changing attitudes toward marriage and violence in same-sex relationships. Other highlights include updated coverage of the ways in which video games and television shows teach gendered roles and information about the increase of young adults living with their parents.

Table of contents

Part 1: Families and Intimate Relationships Key Concepts

  1. Why Study Families and Other Close Relationships?
  2. Social Status: Sex, Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Social Class

Part 2: The Foundations of Relationships

  1. Building Relationships
  2. Love and Loving Relationships
  3. Sexual Identity, Behavior and Relationships
  4. Communication, Conflict and Power in Our Relationships
  5. Marriage

Part 3: Parents and Their Children

  1. Thinking about Parenthood
  2. Raising Children
  3. Families and the Work They Do

Part 4: Family Strengths, Challenges and Reorganization

  1. Family Stress and Crisis: Violence among Intimates
  2. The Process of Divorce
  3. Family Life, Partnering and Remarriage after Divorce
  4. Families in Middle and Later Life
  5. Looking Ahead: Helping Families Flourish

Need help?Get in touch