Family Development in Three Generations

Book excerpt: Family Development in Three Generations is an unusual kind of multi-generational gathering--the result of a massive, in-depth research effort. It is based upon Hill's personal interviews conducted with over 300 families during the course of a year. The discussion results from these interviews, from the statistical information that they produced, and from Hill's consultation with five other fellow researchers. This scholarly contribution to the family field thoroughly analyzes the complexities of the modified generational network. As a multi-generational study, it is pervaded by the vigorous spirit that usually characterizes such research. In his preface to Family Development in Three Generations Reuben Hill invites the reader "to drop in on any generational gathering" where "you will hear how much better or worse life was in grandfather's day than today." Such discussions are usually controversial and center upon shared experiences. Such rhetoric, polemic, and energy sustain conversations among generations. Family Development in Three Generations penetrates to the life center of intimate change in American society. It is a wide-ranging volume that presents varied and highly significant insights into many fields. Scholars will find it a vital contribution to their knowledge of the subject and laymen will find it full of valuable information that they can profitably apply to their own families. The work is widely recognized as a classic in longitudinal analysis of family life.