Includes bibliographical references and index.

What are some characteristics of the modern family? Traditional families never were "traditional" / Arlene Skolnick ; Traditional families are fundamentally unchanged / Jennie Bristow ; Same-sex marriage should be allowed / Heather Ann Gannon ; Same-sex marriage should not be allowed / Donald DeMarco ; Working mothers have enough time to raise children / Brigitte Berger ; Stay-at-home mothers have more time to raise children / Jennifer Roback Morse -- What dilemmas do would-be parents face? The baby market should be regulated / Debora L. Spar ; Children should not be bought and sold / Darlene Gerow ; Adoption hurts children / Anne Patterson ; Adoption helps children / Janet Albrechtsen ; Older mothers face health risks / Maxine Frith ; Older mothers do not face health risks / Mark Henderson -- How does divorce affect children? Stepchildren face extra risk of abuse / Martin Daly and Margo Wilson ; Stepchildren do not face extra risk of abuse / Elizabeth Bartholet ; Divorce has a lasting negative impact / Judith Wallerstein ; Divorce does not have a lasting negative impact / Karen S. Peterson -- Should government make policies regarding families? Married people should have unique legal privileges / Steven L. Nock ; Married people should not have unique legal privileges / John O. Fox ; Government should encourage preschool attendance by young children / Susanna Cooper and Kara Dukakis ; Preschool attendance by young children is unnecessary / Darcy Olsen ; Welfare programs help families / Deepak Bhargava ; Welfare programs do not help families / Vedran Vuk.