Advancing family theories - White, James M. (Sage Publications, 2005)
Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002
Includes bibliographical references (p. 175-185) and indexes
Introduction -- Family theory and social science -- Science and its critics -- Theory, models, and metaphors -- Function and types of theory -- Rational choice and the family -- Transition theory -- Theory, research, and meta-theory -- Theory and human values -- Conclusion : theories as tools for studying families
Explores two contemporary theories of the family-rational choice theory & transition theory that illuminate what differing theories reveal about families. The book also discusses how meta-theories can assist in refining theory, & offers insight on the 'understanding versus explanation' debate