Examines the U.S. family in the 21st century, discussing factors that have affected the family as a social institution, including increasing numbers of women in the labor force, the rise in divorce rates, and development in reproductive technology.

Series correlated to the text: Marriages and Families: Choices, Changes and Constraints, 6/e, by Nijole V. Benokraitis. 2007 ; "Episode #101."