A detailed review of current research and ideas concerning both communication processes and family functioning is provided in this valuable contribution to the literature. Divided into three parts the book focuses on: communication of family members over time; the role of interaction in various family relationships; and the association between family structure and communication. Readers are provided with a set of questions that they can use to examine their own and other's research and the chapters also illustrate a range of methodological and//or theoretical positions.

PART ONE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAMILY COMMUNICATION PATTERNS
Communication in Infancy - Marguerite Stevenson Barratt
The Socialization of Person-Centered Communication - Brant R Burleson, Jesse G Delia and James L Applegate
Parents¿ Contributions to their Children¿s Social-Cognitive and Communication Skills
Parent-Adolescent Relationships - Patricia Noller
Accounts and Demystification of Courtship - Catherine A Surra, Michelle L Batchelder and Debra K Hughes
PART TWO: FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS IN PROCESS
How Parenthood Affects Marriage - Ted L Huston and Anita L Vangelisti
Family Interaction during Problem Solving - Samuel Vuchinich and Jospeh Angelelli
Family Conflict, Divorce, and Children¿s Adjustment - Susan Gano-Phillips and Frank D Fincham
Postdivorce Relations - Sandra Metts and William R Cupach
PART THREE: EXTENDING FAMILY BOUNDARIES
Communication in Three Types of Dual-Career Marriages - Lawrence B Rosenfeld, Gary L Bowen and Jack M Richman
Communication Patterns in Stepfamilies - Nancy A Burrell
Redefining Family Roles, Themes, and Conflict Styles
Communication, Gender, and Power - Sara Steen and Pepper Schwartz
Homosexual Couples as a Case Study
The Aging Family - Marie-Louise Mares
Communication and Family Culture - Alan L Sillars