Family in Latin America/ edited by Man Singh Das and Jesser, Clinton J, (ed.)

The purpose of this book is to introduce the reader to the family structure and family relationships in various less developed and developing countries of Latin America. The authors focus on the traditional family systems, new and emerging family systems, the consequences of change for the societies and other more specific topics such as family planning.

The family structures of the following countries are discussed individually in this book: Venezuela, Uruguay, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. Each chapter focuses on the traditional family forms in the specific nation in question, and then goes on to emphasize the changes that have taken place in the family structure and the consequences of these changes for the society in general.

The authors point out that the family in Latin America is moving slowly toward the Western nuclear family model, but retaining certain structural forms and traditional values and incorporating these within the modern family structure.