This is a selective guide to library and other resources on the topic of family studies

Databases

 

CQ Researcher

   

Reference Works

American Families in Crisis: A Reference Handbook. 2009.

Introductory chapters discuss such concepts as stress and crisis intervention, as well as particular family issues, including unemployment, deployed military families, elder abuse, and teen runaways. This work also contains biographies of key individuals; a chronology; facts and statistics; a list of print, AV, and web resources; and a directory of organizations. Mugar Ref. X HQ536 T796 2009.

The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion. 2009.

“Bringing together contemporary research on children and childhood from pediatrics, child psychology, childhood studies, education, sociology, history, law, anthropology, and other related areas, The Child contains more than 500 articles.” Mugar Ref. X HQ767.84 C55 2009.

Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Reference Handbook. 2nd ed. 2007.

Provides overview of child sexual abuse, recommendations for protecting victims and perpetrators, discussion of treatment, statistics, documents and a list of resources and organizations. Mugar Ref. X HV6570 K55 2007.

Encyclopedia of Bioethics. 5 vols. 2004.

Contains lengthy articles on the ethical aspects of such topics as abortion, abuse, children, family, and marriage and other domestic partnerships.Science and Engineering Library Ref. QH332 E52 1995 and Pappas Law Library Ref. QH332 E52 2005.

Encyclopedia of Child Abuse. 2001.

Entries cover the issues of child abuse from such fields as law, medicine, economics, psychology and sociology. Appendixes include statutes, reporting procedures, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Children. Mugar HV6626.5 C57 2001.

Encyclopedia of Childbearing: Critical Perspectives. 1993.

Interdisciplinary encyclopedia covering some 250 topics related to childbearing. Arranged alphabetically. There is no subject index. Mugar Ref. X RG525 E52 1993.

Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice. 2nd ed. 4 vols. 2002.

Contains scholarly articles concerning the causes of crime, criminal behavior, criminal law, criminal procedure, criminal justice systems, and the prevention, punishment, and treatment of crime. Topics include family abuse and crime and family relationships and crime. Mugar Ref. X HV6017 E52 2002.

The Encyclopedia of Human Ecology. 2 vols. 2003.

Multi-disciplinary encyclopedia with 250+ entries examining human environments and human interactions and their impact on our health, quality of life, and natural and human-made environments. Covers such varied topics as adolescents, young adults, elderly and family issues, gays and lesbians, ethnic groups, juvenile justice, violence in teen dating, death, drugs, smoking, suicide, housing, and the men’s movement. Mugar Ref. X GF4 E53 2003.

The Encyclopedia of Parenting Theory and Research. 1999.

More than 240 entries, arranged alphabetically under nine broad categories. Entries include such timely topics as bullying, stepparenting, and television violence. Mugar HQ755.8 E523 1999.

Encyclopedia of Relationships Across the Lifestyle. 1996.

Cross-disciplinary encyclopedia of more than 500 terms, concepts, themes, and policies on human relationships from birth to death. There are lists of professional journals and organizations and a bibliography. Mugar HM132 T83 1996.

Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century. 3 vols. 2001.

Arranged alphabetically with lengthy articles on all aspects of life in the U.S. in the nineteenth century. Use the table of contents in volume 1, or the sytematic outline of contents and detailed subject index in volume 3 to locate your topic. Mugar Ref. X E169.1 E626 2001.

Encyclopedia of Women and Gender: Sex Similarities and Differences and the Impact of Society on Gender. 2 vols. 2001.

Comprehensive coverage of topics covering current scholarship on the psychology of women and gender, including divorce, marriage, motherhood, and work-family balance. Mugar Ref. X HQ1115 E52 2001.

Families in America: A Reference Handbook. 2002.

Contains an introductory essay on historical and contemporary American families and important issues; biographies of key individuals; a chronology; facts and statistics; a list of print, AV, and web resources; and a directory of organizations. Mugar Ref. X HQ536 T798 2002.

Handbook of Family Measurement Techniques. 1990.

Contains abstracts of nearly 1,000 instruments of family measurement. Mugar HQ728 T68 1990.

Handbook of Family Violence. 1988.

This volume contains an overview of the field and chapters on theoretical models, forms of family violence, and special issues such as alcoholism and violence. Mugar HQ809.3 U5 H35 1988.

International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family. 2nd ed. 4 vols. 2003.

From abortion to Zambia, the lengthy articles in this work cover such topics as cohabitation, elder abuse, incarcerated parents, and nonmarital childbearing, as well as marriage and family life issues in some fifty countries. Mugar Ref. X HQ9 E52 2003.

Marriage, Family, and Relationships: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia. 1994.

Topical articles with cross-cultural analysis of marriage and family, including both universal characteristics and less-common practices. Mugar GN480 B76 1994.

Bibliographies

Adoption: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide. 1987.

Contains an annotated list of books, articles, audiovisual materials and resources for children on adoption published since 1974. Mugar Z7164 A23 M44 1987. Storage: Use Request Form.

An Annotated Bibliography of U.S. Scholarship on the History of the Family. 1986.

Bibliography of articles, dissertations and other materials on the history of the family. Mugar Z7164 M2 B46 1986. Storage: Use Request Form.

The Black Family in the United States: A Revised, Updated, Selectively Annotated Bibliography. 1986.

Annotated listing of books, articles, and dissertations on all aspects of the African-American family. Mugar Z1361 N39 D335 1986. Storage: Use Request Form.

Children and Adjustment to Divorce: An Annotated Bibliography. 1990.

Lists books, journal articles, and audiovisual materials published between 1981 and 1988. Includes materials for children and young adults. Mugar Z7164 C5 N66 1990. Storage: Use Request Form.

Children of Separation: An Annotated Bibliography for Professionals. 1994.

Includes annotations for nearly 1000 entries, arranged by broad subject categories, including central issues (e.g., loss, legal issues), types of families, interventions, and children’s books. Mugar Z7164 M2 S73 1994. Storage: Use Request Form.

Families and Aging: A Selected, Annotated Bibliography. 1991.

Annotated bibliography of 700+ books, articles, dissertations, and documents on family relationships and older Americans. Mugar Z7164 O4 C67 1991. Storage: Use Request Form.

Families in Transition: An Annotated Bibliography. 1988.

Annotated list of books, articles, children’s books and AV materials. Subjects include single parents, stepfamilies, foster care, parental kidnapping, latchkey children, surrogate parents, and homosexuality. Mugar Z5118 F2 S23 1988. Storage: Use Request Form.

The Feminization of Poverty in the United States: A Selected, Annotated Bibliography of the Issues, 1978 – 1989. 1990.

Items included in this work cover such topics as families headed by women, child support, child care, teenage mothers, and family policy. Mugar Z7164 C4 F45 1990. Storage: Use Request Form.

Incest: An Annotated Bibliography. 1985.

Provides a definition of incest and an annotated bibliography of 410 items (primarily journal articles and books) on incest, arranged by broad topics. Mugar Z7164 S42 D4 1985. Storage: Use Request Form.

Jewish Family Issues: A Resource Guide. 1987.

Essays on the Jewish family through history, one-parent Jewish families, and Jewish women, and an annotated bibliography of 524 items covering such topics as food and family, kibbutz children, and women and feminism. Mugar Z6374 F34 S34 1987. Storage: Use Request Form.

Statistics

Childinfo.org.

Maintained by UNICEF, Childinfo.org contains statistics on children worldwide and has links to UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children.

ChildStats.gov: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.

“This web site offers easy access tofederal and state statistics and reports on children and their families, including: population and family characteristics, economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education.” Includes links to related sites.

Families and Living Arrangements.

Census data on families and households, some from the Current Population Survey (2005 and earlier). Links to other census data on marital status and living arrangements, grandparents and grandchildren, interracial data, and more.

Kids Count Data Book.

Annual statistical compendium of information on the economic, educational, physical, and social well-being of American children.

Statistical Handbook on the American Family. 1999.

Contains statistical data on marriage, divorce, children, sexual attitudes and behavior, living arrangements, working women, family violence, and elderly families. Mugar HQ536 S727 1999.

Statistical Record of Children. 1994.

Compendium of statistical data on children, providing statistics on such topics as AIDS, homelessness, runaways, abuse and neglect, family living expenses, and computer use. Mugar HQ767.8 S73.

Websites

The Administration for Children and Familes.

“The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for federal programs that promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.” Contains useful fact sheets and statistics.

Administration on Aging.

The Administration on Aging web site of the Department of Health and Human Services “includes information designed for Older Americans and their families as well as those concerned about providing the opportunities and services to enrich the lives of older persons and support their independence.” Includes fact sheets, statistics, and resources for families, practictioners, and researchers/students.

The Center on Everyday Lives of Families, UCLA.

UCLA’s Center on the Everyday Lives of Families (CELF) is one of several Sloan Centers on Working Families, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Program on Dual-Career Working Middle Class Families. Resources include working papers. “CELF is an interdisciplinary center where anthropologists, applied linguists, education specialists, and psychologists study how working parents and their children approach the challenges of balancing the demands of work, school, and family life using detailed, ethnographic research of everyday life.”

Child Trends.

“Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that studies children, youth, and families through research, data collection, and data analysis.” Sections include “Facts at a Glance” and “Research Briefs.” The Child Trends Databank is “the one-stop-shop for the latest national trends and research on over 70 key indicators of child and youth well-being, with new indicators added each month”

Children’s Defense Fund.

“The mission of the Children’s Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind® and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. CDF provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves.”

Culture of American Families Project, University of Virginia.

“The Culture of American Families Project is a three-year investigation of the home cultures that are molding the next generation of American adults. Generously funded by the John Templeton Foundation, the project’s first phase included a national survey of 3,000 parents of school-age children. The second phase engaged 101 parents from the larger sample in intensive, in-person interviews.”

Family Issues.

National Library of Medicine/MedlinePlus web page on Family Issues, with links to general overviews, coping, specific conditions/aspects of the family, directories, law and policy, organizations, statistics, children, teenagers, and Spanish language pages. Related pages include Adoption, Caregivers, Child Abuse, Child Care, Domestic Violence, Elder Abuse, and Parenting.

Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire.

“Since 1975, the Family Research Laboratory (FRL) has devoted itself primarily to understanding family violence and the impact of violence in families. As public and professional interest in family violence has grown, so has the need for more reliable knowledge. The FRL has tried to fill that need in a variety of ways: through comprehensive literature reviews, new theories, and methodologically sound studies. Researchers at the FRL pioneered many of the techniques that have enabled social scientists to estimate directly the scope of family violence.”

Guttmacher Institute.

“Four decades after its creation, the Guttmacher Institute continues to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights through an interrelated program of research, policy analysis and public education designed to generate new ideas, encourage enlightened public debate and promote sound policy and program development.”

Kearl’s Guide to the Sociology of the Family.

Trinity University (San Antonio) Sociology Professor Michael Kearl has developed a Web site on marriage and family. His topics include issues of gender, age, sex, violence, marriage, parenting, singlehood, extended families, families and social/political institutions, and families across time and cultures. Includes statistical data and links to many other sites.

Military Family Research Institute, Purdue University.

The Military Family Research Institute is an interdisciplinary research program housed at Purdue University and funded by the Department of Defense, Office of Military Community and Family Policy. Our mission is to conduct interdisciplinary, multilevel research that provides insight into the impact of quality-of-life factors on military members and their families. We are particularly interested in satisfaction, retention and performance. We will provide this research to those individuals charged with improving policies and practices focused on military quality-of-life.

National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Housed at Cornell University, the mission of the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) is to facilitate the secondary analysis of research data relevant to the study of child abuse and neglect.

Studies in Scarlet: Marriage & Sexuality in the U.S. & the U.K., 1815 – 1914.

“Studies in Scarlet presents the images of over 420 separately published trial narratives from the Harvard Law School Library’s extensive trial collections. Included are a number of trials of the wealthy and renowned such as an account of the adultery trial of Caroline, Queen Consort of George IV, the sodomy trial of Oscar Wilde, and the trial of Harry Thaw for the murder of Stanford White, the famous architect who was Evelyn Nesbit Thaw’s lover. The larger part of the collection, however, consists of the stories of ordinary men and women thrust into the public eye when their marriages and love affairs went wrong or their relationships did not conform to social standards. Studies in Scarlet includes American, British, and Irish cases 1815-1914 involving domestic violence, bigamy, seduction, breach of promise to marry, and the custody of children, as well as trials for murder and rape. These trials are especially rich sources for the study of the history of women in early modern society.”

Tufts University Child & Family WebGuide.

“The Child & Family WebGuide describes trustworthy websites on topics of interest to parents and professionals. All the sites listed on the WebGuide have been systematically evaluated by graduate students and faculty in child development. These sites have been selected from thousands that are available on the Web, based primarily on the quality of the information they provide. The goal of the WebGuide is to give the public easy access to the best child development information on the Web.”

The Urban Institute.

“The Urban Institute is a nonprofit policy research organization established in Washington, D.C., in 1968. The Institute’s goals are to sharpen thinking about society’s problems and efforts to solve them, improve government decisions and their implementation, and increase citizens’ awareness about important public choices.” Extensive research reports on such topics as at-risk teens, low-income families, the elderly, child care, and more.