Family Worlds

In five narrative case studies, Hess and Handel sensitively explore the dynamics of family life. Family Worlds is a pioneering study of family interaction and family relationships in intact nuclear families. It is the first, and still one of the few studies to interview every member of the family household—children as well as adults, husbands/fathers as well as wives/mothers—so that each member's perspective is taken into account in arriving at conclusions. This ground-breaking study has influenced numerous subsequent family studies in several substantive areas. It is a significant exemplar of qualitative family research, continuing to challenge researchers and practitioners to consider how all the family members contribute to constructing the family's everyday world. Originally published in 1959 by the University of Chicago Press.