MacMillan Reference Usa - MacMillan Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family: 2 Volume Set

The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Families, Marriages, and Intimate Relationships provides authoritative, foundational, multidisciplinary knowledge about salient dynamics and features of families, marriages, and intimate relationships. The purpose of the project is to organize the assortment of information on intimate relationships, marriages, and families that is otherwise difficult to find in one place. Accessibility to this information is vital because changing conditions and novel circumstances beget broad-minded attitudes regarding families, marriages, and interpersonal relationships. Yet, the salient question is not change per se but the response to it. Many people expect intimate relationships, marriages, and families to offer the emotional nurturance that is not easily attained in impersonal contexts. To address this expectation, consideration and indulgence for diverse arrangements and behaviors are critical.

The Encyclopedia is composed of nearly 300 detailed entries ranging from 500 to 3,500 words. These entries integrate often discrete information into concise overviews written in an engaging and accessible manner. Nearly 150 figures, tables, and images help illustrate the themes and ideas discussed. Lengthier entries include discussion questions to kindle in-class discussion or project ideas. Select entries also have key terms and definitions or sidebars containing additional information relevant to the topics under discussion. See also references guide readers to related entries, and bibliographies incorporate cited works and suggestions for further reading and study. The Encyclopedia also provides a thorough index of names and concepts explored therein.

Throughout the Encyclopedia, core ideas and themes are developed while providing lucid explanations of key issues, cogent summaries, and relevant suggestions for further research. The editorial board identified clusters of linked concepts (e.g., pillow talk) and addressed them under broader key concepts (e.g., sexual communication). The associate editors performed a major role in selecting topics for coverage. Deciding which topics to highlight in the project was a difficult task, particularly when so many were closely related. Board members referred to many sources, such as existing courses and curricula, textbooks, scholarly and professional publications, and media coverage of pertinent issues. As a result, several new and developing topicsfor example, online dating and how media influences the familyare included. Each of the associate editors provided recommendations for important concepts, devoted much time and effort to recruiting reputable authors, and carefully reviewed and commented on numerous entries.

Available in both print and online editions, the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Families, Marriages, and Intimate Relationships is a reference guide written with the needs of several types of readers in mind. For students, it is an academic source of vetted and substantive material for study. For instructors and professors, it may be used as assigned reading or in the classroom as a starting point for further discussion. For scholars and researchers, it provides an accessible overview of knowledge from many disciplines and various perspectives. For parents and spouses, it serves as a benchmark to the challenges and realities associated with intimate relations, marriages, and families.