This bk,which exploits the narrative methods used to explore the changes that come w/ parenthood,provides a brightly lit window on family & adult devt.Intended for researchers,practitioners & policy makers,it addresses issues at the indiv & sociocultural

This work seeks to enhance understanding of family-life development by shedding light on the meanings that family members ascribe to the developmental process of becoming a family. This is achieved by qualitative analysis of narratives through which individuals explain their thinking and behaviour.

"...highly valuable integration of practice and research literature..."—READINGS: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health"As the title suggests, this book is a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in the area of family development. Rena D. Harold and her colleagues report on a qualitative research project that provides important information on individual and family development related to the transition to parenthood....The open-ended narratives provide a wealth of rich data, and Harold and colleagues clearly illustrate the relevance of their research to previous work and emphasize its importance for future investigations."—Journal of Marriage and Family