Funny, how these posts get started. I was working my way through a very different post, when I found myself using the phrase “traditional family.” And I laughed. I should know better. Last fall, I assigned my students an essay by writer Barbara Kingsolver, in which she speaks about the meaning of “family.” I won’t go over the entire piece; my focus is on one of her key points. Using historical data, found in a number of sources, notably Stephanie Coontz’ fabulous The Way We Never Were, Kingsolver completely debunks the notion of the “traditional family,” as a conceptual term, … Continue reading →