Using a family systems and a multigenerational, developmental framework, this text highlights the challenges faced by contemporary families as they move through the life course.

Family Interaction offers a comprehensive overview of the major conceptual models that are used to understand the patterns and interactional dynamics that operate in families. It provides readers with an overview of the basic tasks that all families must execute regardless of their particular composition or living situation and, at the same time, offers readers an appreciation of the variety and uniqueness in the ways in which each family develops its patterns of interaction.

This extensively revised third edition offers a unique vantage point on the family. Its emphasis is on integration, particularly an integration of family systems, family development, and intergenerational perspectives. Family therapy models, observational research on family functioning, and direct clinical experiences of the authors have been incorporated into the text.