A thorough exploration of the critical topics and issues facing family communication researchers today The Sage Handbook of Family Communication provides a comprehensive examination of family communication theory and research. Chapters by leading scholars in family communication expand the definition of family, address recent shifts in culture, and cover important new topics, including families in crisis, families and governmental policies, social media, and extended families. The combination of groundbreaking theories, research methods, and reviews of foundational and emerging research in family communication make this an invaluable resource that explores the critical topics and issues facing family communication researchers today.

This third edition again brings together interdisciplinary contributions to provide a comprehensive and multifaceted resource that reflects the breadth and depth of research on family communication and family relationships. Chapters continue to address theoretical and methodological issues influencing current conceptions of family and cover communication occurring in a variety of family forms and across social, cultural, and physical contexts. This third edition includes key updates, such as: The use and influence of social media and technology in families Parenting and communication in culturally and structurally diverse families Communication and physical health of family members Managing personal information about difficult topics in families The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on family members This handbook is ideal for students and researchers interested in interpersonal and family communication, relationships, and family therapy within the disciplines of communication, social psychology, clinical psychology, sociology, and family studies.

Engaging Theories in Family Communication, Second Edition delves deeply into the key theories in family communication, focusing on theories originating both within the communication discipline and in allied disciplines. Contributors write in their specific areas of expertise, resulting in an exceptional resource for scholars and students alike, who seek to understand theories spanning myriad topics, perspectives, and approaches. Designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying family communication, this text is also relevant for scholars and students of personal relationships, interpersonal communication, and family studies. This second edition includes 16 new theories and an updated study of the state of family communication. Each chapter follows a common pattern for easy comparison between theories.

Genetics is in all senses a family affair. The diagnosis of a genetic condition affects not only the patient and biological family members who may themselves be at risk, but also "family" more generally as support may be sought from those considered kin and who may or may not be at risk themselves. It is considered best practice in genetic consultations to explore who will be informed within the family when a genetic condition or risk is diagnosed, particularly when the health of other family members is at risk. There is little guidance or consensus on how to achieve the implicit goal of informed family members while respecting patient confidentiality, however. There is a need for practitioners to be aware of the dynamics of family communication and to have guidance about how they may sensitively facilitate communication about genetics within families. This handbook facilitates the development of clinical practices relating to family communication about genetics. Relevant theories of family communication are summarized and related to a clinical genetics milieu and, from this, frameworks for practitioners are presented. A book of this nature is particularly timely as the completion of the Human Genome Project will result in an unprecedented amount of information about genetic constitution and health risks becoming available to individuals and their families. The presence of a potentially genetic condition in a family is not a new phenomenon. However, the growth in testing for genetic conditions, common complex conditions and variants that may influence health as well as drug metabolism means that a greater number of individuals will face decisions about communicating this information to their relatives. Many health professionals in all levels of health care will be confronted with issues of responsibility and practice in family communication about genetic information as they become providers of this testing.

An innovative textbook that presents a novel and compelling examination of family communication studies Family Communication as... Exploring Metaphors for Family Communication presents a series of metaphors through which students explore the nuances and complexities of family interaction. With a unique approach to the foundational theories and real-world practices of family communication, this easily accessible textbook helps students develop a clear understanding of what family communication is and what it can be. Contributions by both prominent and newer scholars theorize about family communication, offer new perspectives, challenge long-held assumptions, and describe original research to provide students with an up-to-date representation of the leading thinking in the field. Each concise chapter focuses on a specific element of family life, engaging key metaphors to stimulate classroom discussion about family in contexts ranging from ritual and embodiment to estrangement and heteronormativity. Throughout the text, students examine family metaphorically—as memory, as social identity, as estrangement, as loss, as resilience, as raced, and more. Presents a metaphorical examination of creating, materializing, contextualizing, politicizing, and complicating family communication Offers an innovative alternative to standard textbooks on the subject Features a thorough introduction advocating for the use of metaphors in teaching Discusses the key topics and theoretical approaches that have defined the field Includes detailed references, additional readings, and an instructor’s companion website Family Communication as... Exploring Metaphors for Family Communication is an excellent textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in courses including family communication, family studies, interpersonal communication, relational communication, and communication theory. It is also a highly useful resource for scholars in fields such as media studies, psychology, sociology, social work, counseling, and public health.

Integrating the varying perspectives and issues addressed by researchers, theorists and practitioners, this edited collection presents an analysis and synthesis of cutting-edge research and theory on family interactions.

Building on their past work in race and family communication, Rhunette C. Diggs and Thomas J. Socha gather in this volume contemporary theory and research concerning ways that families use communication to transform inherited cultural legacies for the better (Communication 3.0). The book expands the field of communication’s understanding of the life-long impact that family communication has on the managing diverse and clashing cultural relationships, identities, meanings, and communication practices. It spotlights the economically disenfranchised alongside the economically secure, the systematically oppressed next to beneficiaries of Whiteness, and those actually or metaphorically killed and or threatened by violence and hateful systems outside of home. Together, the contributions address omissions of diverse family contexts in family communication research and reconsider qualitative and quantitative approaches that bring respect and equality to the participant-researcher relationship. This book is suitable as a supplementary text for courses in family communication, family studies, race and ethnicity in communication, and intergroup communication.

This sourcebook is an unparalleled resource in the field of family science. It provides a comprehensive overview of both traditional and contemporary theories and methodologies to promote a greater understanding of increasingly complex family realities. It focuses on broad developments in research design and conceptualization, while also offering a historical perspective on developments in family science over time, particularly emerging theories from the past several decades. Each chapter summarizes and evaluates a major theory or methodological approach in the field, delving into its main principles; its debates and challenges; how it has evolved over time; its practical uses in policy, education, or further research; and links to other theories and methodologies. In highlighting recent research of note, chapters emphasize the potential for innovative future applications. Key areas of coverage include: · Risk and resilience, family stress, feminist, critical race, and social exchange theories. · Ambiguous loss, intersectionality, Queer, and family development theory. · Life course framework. · Biosocial theory and biomarker methods. · Symbolic interactionism. · Ethnography. · Mixed methods, participatory action research, and evaluation.

Family Communication: Cohesion and Change encourages students to think critically about family interaction patterns and to analyze them using a variety of communication theories. Using a framework of family functions, current research, and first-person narratives, this text emphasizes the diversity of today's families in structure, ethnic patterns, gender socialization, and developmental experiences. New for the tenth edition are expanded pedagogical features to improve learning and retention, as well as updates on current theory and research integrated throughout the chapters for timely analysis and discussion. Cases and research featured in each chapter provide examples of concepts and themes, and a companion website offers expanded resources for instructors and students. On the book's companion website, www.routledge.com/cw/galvin, intstructors will find a full suite of online resources to help build their courses and engage their students, as well as an author video introducing the new edition: Course Materials Syllabi & Suggested Calendars Course Projects & Paper Examples Essay Assignments Test/Quiz Questions and Answer Keys Case Studies in Family Communication Family Communication Film and Television Examples Family Communication in Literature Examples Chapter Outlines Detailed Outlines Discussion Questions Case Study Questions Sample Chapter Activities Chapter PowerPoint Slides