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Handbook of Marriage and the Family pp 401–422Cite as

Gender and Family Relations

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Abstract

This chapter presents a review of the empirical and theoretical works published from 1999 to 2009 to determine how family scholars have conceptualized and implemented studies of gender in family relations. Three questions guided our review: (1) to what extent have family scholars continued to conceptualize gender as roles that women and men enact to “be a gender?”; (2) or, have family scholars who study gender and family relations moved beyond the traditional conceptualization of women and men to examine the processes by which women and men “do gender?”; and (3) finally, when gender distinctions are found, what theoretical explanations are offered by family scholars to explain variability in gendered patterns? Theoretical frameworks that explained how and why families “do gender” and “be a gender” in everyday family life are used to guide summaries of the following substantive areas of research: participation in the workforce, including family and work, household division of labor, caregiving, work/family balance, and gay/lesbian families are provided. Limitations in this field of research are highlighted and suggestions for future studies are offered. Implications for policy and practice also are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Velma McBride Murry’s involvement was supported by funding from National Institute of Mental Health, Grant R01MH063043. Cady Berkel’s involvement in the preparation of this manuscript was supported by Training Grant T32MH18387.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, 230 Appleton Place, Peabody, Box 90, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA

    Velma McBride Murry PhD

  2. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA

    Lindsay Satterwhite Mayberry PhD

  3. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA

    Cady Berkel PhD

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  1. Velma McBride Murry PhD
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  2. Lindsay Satterwhite Mayberry PhD
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  3. Cady Berkel PhD
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Correspondence to Velma McBride Murry PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Family Studies & Social Work, Miami University Dept. Family Studies & Social Work, Oxford, Ohio, USA

    Gary W. Peterson

  2. Dept. Family Studies & Social Work, Miami University Dept. Family Studies & Social Work, Oxford, Ohio, USA

    Kevin R. Bush

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Murry, V.M., Mayberry, L.S., Berkel, C. (2013). Gender and Family Relations. In: Peterson, G., Bush, K. (eds) Handbook of Marriage and the Family. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3987-5_18

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