The widening gap between the rich and the poor is turning the American dream into an
impossibility for many particularly children and families. And as the children of low-income
families grow to adulthood they have less access to opportunities and resources than their
higher-income peers--and increasing odds of repeating the experiences of their parents.Families
in an Era of Increasing Inequality probes the complex relations between social inequality and
child development and examines possibilities for disrupting these ongoing patterns. Experts
across the social sciences track trends in marriage divorce employment and family structure
across socioeconomic strata in the U.S. and other developed countries. These family data give
readers a deeper understanding of how social class shapes children's paths to adulthood and how
those paths continue to diverge over time and into future generations. In addition
contributors critique current policies and programs that have been created to reduce
disparities and offer suggestions for more effective alternatives. Among the topics
covered:Inequality begins at home: the role of parenting in the diverging destinies of rich and
poor children.Inequality begins outside the home: putting parental educational investments into
context.How class and family structure impact the transition to adulthood.Dealing with the
consequences of changes in family composition.Dynamic models of poverty-related adversity and
child outcomes.The diverging destinies of children and what it means for children's lives.As
new initiatives are sought to improve the lives of families and children in the short and long
term Families in an Era of Increasing Inequality is a key resource for researchers and
practitioners in family studies social work health education sociology demography and
psychology.
