Emile Durkheim on the Family
- Mary Ann Lamanna - University of Nebraska, Omaha, USA, University of Nebraska, USA
"This valuable source for a systematic and comprehensive understanding of Durkheim's ideas on the family constitutes a major addition to the literature on the family, social theory, women's studies, and family law. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above."
-CHOICE
Emile Durkheim on the Family is intended to bring attention to this classical sociologist's work on the family. Durkheim's writings in this area are little known, but the family was nevertheless one of his primary interests, the subject of an intended book that was never written. Durkheim's ideas on the family appear only in scattered sources and a number of those sources have not been translated into English. Durkheim's Sociology of the family has not heretofore been presented and analyzed holistically.
The purpose of Lamanna's book is to bring together Durkheim's ideas on the family from diverse sources and to present his family sociology systematically and comprehensively. Quotations from Durkheim's writing or speaking enrich the analysis. Durkheim's work on the family is situated in its historical context and comparisons are drawn to present-day sociology of the family is situated in its historical context and comparisons are drawn to present-day sociology of the family and family issues.
Chapter topics include:
- Durkheim's life and times
- His evolutionary theory of the family
- Methodologies for studying the family
- The changing relationship of kin
- Conjugal family and the state
- The interior of the family
- Family policy
- Gender
- Sexuality
An examination of Durkheim's work on the family reveals its close connections to his wee-known books and theories. Emile Durkheim on the Family should interest audiences in sociology of the family, social theory, family science, European intellectual history women's studies, legal history, and those generally interested in family studies and / or nineteenth and early twentieth century Europe.
"…a significant contribution to Durkheim studies. The author correctly identifies the lacuna in Durkheim studies with regard to his remarks on family and has done a commendable job in bringing together the scattered references and discussions of the topic in Durkheim’s work."
"This valuable source for a systematic and comprehensive understanding of Durkheim's ideas on the family constitutes a major addition to the literature on the family, social theory, women's studies, and family law. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above."
