Family Matters: Perspectives on the Family and Social Policy covers the proceedings of the Symposium on Priority for the Family. The book examines how a family might be strengthened and how any stresses society imposes on the family might be lightened. The text consists of 20 chapters and discusses several issues concerning the family as a social unit, such as environmental factors, socio-economic stress, housing conditions, poverty, unemployment, and the lack of options. The book will be of great interest to readers concerned with the implications of social norms and standards for the family as a social unit.

List of ContributorsIntroduction1 Are there Alternatives to the Family?2 Changing Family Patterns: Some Implications for Policy3 The Needs of Children and Their Implications for Parental and Professional Care4 The Family as the Patient5 The Family Research Unit's Study of Women from Broken Homes: What Conclusions Should We Draw?6 Family Policy in a Multi-Culture Society7 Deprivation, Disadvantage and the Family in Britain8 Housing and the Family-Policy Issues9 Housing Problems of the Inner City Family: The Practical Outcome of Government Policy10 Housing Atypical Households: Understanding the Practices of Local Government Housing11 Tax and Benefit Policy for the Family12 Work and the Family13 A Family Service?14 A Question of Inter-Agency Collaboration for Family Health15 A Family Perspective in Policies for the under Fives?16 The Primary School and the Family17 Child-Rearing: Parental Autonomy and State Intervention18 Does Britain Need a Family Policy?19 Family Policy Targets20 The Final SessionAppendix: On the Bill Relating to a Children'sReferencesIndex