Current debates about the family have frequently focused on the idealized family of the 1950s middle class, two parents and two children. This book focuses on the majority of American families who do not live this so-called ideal, including divorced families, step families, single parent families, teen parent families, adoptive families, and gay and lesbian families. In each chapter, the contributing authors examine the social and historical context in which these new types of families have emerged, and the new conflicts and challenges to contemporary social policy that these emerging families have created. The book examines issues such as custody disputes, the legal definition of family, family poverty, and abuse and neglect.