Families and Communes: An Examination of Nontraditional Lifestyles

by William Lawrence Smith

Overview

This book focuses specifically on the role of the family in communal life. Communal groups are one type of nontraditional families, some communes are predisposed to families while others are not and some communal families can be replacements or substitutes for nuclear families. Historic communal groups such as Shakers, Oneida, Amana, and the Mormons are investigated as are contemporary rural and urban communal groups such as Twin Oaks, Jesus People USA, and the Hutterites.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761910749
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	08/27/1999
Series:	Understanding Families series , #18
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Introduction
Communes
Conceptual, Definitional, Theoretical and Typological Issues
Families in Historic Communal Utopias
Part One
Families in Historic Communal Utopias
Part Two
Urban and Rural Communes of the 1960s and 1970s
Urban and Rural Communes of the 1980s and 1990s
What Have We Learned about Families and Communities?

Editorial Reviews

Smith (sociology, Georgia Southern U.) investigates how families fit into contemporary and historical American communes and their impact on how the communes develop and are run. Drawing on examples such as the Shakers, the Mormons, the Oneida Community, the Amana Colonies and contemporary rural and urban communal groups such as Twin Oaks and the Hutterites, he finds that some groups are predisposed to families while others become replacement or substitutes for nuclear families. He also looks at various practices, including monogamy, polygamy, pantagamy, and celibacy. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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