Overview

Aimed at students at senior secondary level, this book explores how Australian families have changed and are continuing to change. It examines the importance of immigration; cultural differences (including Aboriginal culture); the effects of poverty and unemployment on children within the family; the effects of smaller families, family breakdown, changes in education, and the increasing numbers of mothers entering the workforce. Chapters are: Australian children; Socialisation: how does an infant become a member of society? Childhood: were children always precious? How does separation and loss affect children? Children in stepfamilies; The changing context of early childhood; Adolescence and the family; The precious child of the twentieth century.