Twelve original essays chart the latest developments in the debate over the future of the family. Focusing on the interaction between feminist critiques and recent defenses of traditional views of the family, this book highlights the second stage of contemporary feminist rethinking of the family. Outstanding scholars from a variety of disciplines examine key issues in this debate: the idea of the monolithic family, sexual division of labor and inequality, motherhood, parenting and mental illness, the relationship between family, class, and state. This book makes it clear why the family has emerged in the last decade as the political issue to claim everyone's attention.