David Cheal 
Sociology of Family Life [PDF ebook] 

This lucid and accessible introductory text from a highly regarded author provides students who are encountering the sociology of the family for the first time with a systematic and stimulating way of thinking about the subject based on a core set of analytical questions. Coherent and persuasive, it blends theory with empirical examples drawn from all over the world, thus offering valuable insights into the differences and commonalities between families in quite diverse social and cultural contexts.