Viewing the nuclear family as the basic unit of the American social structure, Cavan examines the characteristics of the family at different socioeconomic levels. The book includes changes in family functions as they relate to the changes in society as a whole. It also explores the shifting forces in the late 1960s and 70s that have shaped the American family. Duval, Evelyn Mills. Marriage and Family Development .
Mills work describes the developmental stages that families move through during their life cycle.
Levitan, Sar A., and Richard S. Belous. The John Hopkins University Press, 1981. This book explores the stresses and strains put on members of modern American families. Turner, Ralph H. Family Interaction . A sociological view of the family, this work is concerned with the internal process of families.