This best-selling text on marriages, families, and relationships combines an authoritative, yet applied approach with a theme that is especially relevant today: making choices in a diverse society. A balance of various theoretical perspectives along with many examples helps readers understand how people are influenced by the society around them, how social conditions change in ways that affect family life, the interplay between families and the larger society, and the family-related choices that individuals make throughout adulthood. Readers gain insightful perspectives on the diversity of our modern society, including different ethnic traditions and family forms, and are encouraged to question assumptions and reconcile conflicting ideas and values as they make informed choices in their own lives.