This course explores contemporary economic and cultural global processes, and their implications for family life. We wil begin with a critical exploration of the globalization concept, and then move on to a series of case-studies of family life today, within the U.S. as well as other parts of the world. Among the specific topics and themes covered are: immigrant families, transitional family networks, the emergence of adolescence as a life stage in developing countries, and the effects of the new postindustrial economy on families in the U.S.