A Critique of Contemporary Marriage and Family Research

Abstract

T HE phenomena of love, courtship, marriage, and the family have only recently been considered objects for serious systematic research. The accumulation of folklore about the intimacies of marriage and family life have been for centuries the legitimate concern of novelists, religious leaders, comedians, poets, and cynics. Textbook writers and journalists draw heavily from common-sense assertions and clinical hunches because the researcher has so recently arrived on the scene that his works are scarcely known. This is the historical backdrop for my evaluation of marriage and family research. My task is made easier because most family research has been completed within the last thirty years.' Evaluation will be organized around six focal points; Functions of Family Research, Long Term Trends, Contemporary Emphases in Marriage and Family Study, Recent Criticisms, Obstacles to Progress, and Prospects for Future Research.