Marriage, Divorce and Childrens Adjustment - Literature review Example

Download file to see previous pages... The next issue the title addresses is divorce and this is the core of the text book. The textbook will essential talk about divorce and how it affects the family in general. The next bit of the title addresses children and this is because the book is essentially talking of the effects of divorce on children and how it takes toll on their lives. The last bit of the title addresses adjustment and this is related to children after the divorce. In general the title is well phrased and tackles all the ideas that are presented in the book by showing us the logical flow of ideas as in what leads to what and who gets affected and the final outcome. Book titles are supposed to be informative and give the reader an idea about the book. The reader should be able to deduce what the book is talking about from the title. This is because the title is the first selling point of the book. The book begins with an editor’s introduction. The editor begins with an overview of the subject of child development expressing his views that the topic has attracted scholars in the field to examine it. The editor speaks of the problem of the state of the family institution in the United States speaking of the problems that it is facing and how they are affecting children. He goes ahead to mention the problem of divorce citing its far reaching consequences that it has had on children and adolescent development and thus necessitating a closer examination into the causes of some of the problems in marriage that lead to divorce and how children are affected and what can be done to ease the situation (Emery, 1999, pp. ix-x). The introduction has essentially given us a direction on the scope of the book as it tackles child development issues and how the family as a whole plays an important role in the development and well being of the child. So far in the introduction, various aspects are said to be covered in the text and the scope proposed by the editor does not present any limitations. The editor says that the book is part of a series of books in child development and says that various aspects have been covered in the previous book. Given the fact that this is a second edition means that the author has developed his ideas well and no aspect of the subject has been left behind. The preface helps to bring the message home by explaining the aspect of divorce and how it should be understood. The author picks the subject from a neutral point of view presenting his experiences and those of others and explaining that some of these aspects are multidisciplinary and should be looked at from various angles in order to get a better understanding. The table of contents in any book should be the guiding factor for the reader to easily get information from the book. The table of contents should have a simple flow that shows the development of ideas from one stage to another. This book has a well structured table of contents that has a chronological flow of ideas. The book has divided its contents into seven chapters. Chapter one presents an overview of divorce and various perspectives on children and divorce. Chapter two sets out by examining the cultural, historical, and demographic perspective of the issue of divorce and this is based on the United States (Emery, 1999, pp. 5-20). Chapter three presents research findings and shows the methodology that was used in conducting the research concerning divorce, marriage and children adjustment (Emery, 1999, pp. 21-30). Chapter four then looks at how children adjust after divorce and breaks them down into a number of problems that are individually addressed. It also looks at the issues that result in divorce such as intimacy and emotional problems (Emery, 1999, pp. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More