"The editors bring together a diverse collection of empirical studies, theoretic essays, and critical reviews of literature on communication to constitute a stronger, more complete understanding of communication within in the family. This book brings together the best of the research being conducted on various types of family relationships and showcases the work of some of the most respected scholars within the field of family communication."
-Jonathan Kroll, ADOLESCENCE
"In Widening the Family Circle, the editors have assembled an eclectic group of accomplished authors to shed much needed light on many of the diverse and important forms of family relationships that are rarely studied or even understood. The focus on detailed description, examples, and research findings will appeal to both students and research scholars alike." -Chris Segrin, University of Arizona
"This book helps us to realize the uniqueness of family systems and how many different types of relationships contribute to making up the family. It has a definite place in the market and for use in the classroom." -Nancy J. Eckstein, Bethel University
Widening the Family Circle: New Research on Family Communication bridges the significant gap in family communication literature by providing a thorough examination of lesser-studied family relationships, such as those involving grandparents, in-laws, cousins, stepfamilies, and adoptive parents. In this engaging text, editors Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman bring together a diverse collection of empirical studies, theoretic essays, and critical reviews of literature on communication to constitute a stronger, more complete understanding of communication within the family.
Key Features:
Addresses lesser-studied family relationships: While most books on family communication focus primarily on marriage and biological, custodial parent-child relations, this text explores a much wider circle of family relationships. A thorough examination of stepfamilies, mothers/adult daughters, adult siblings, grandparents, adoptive, fathers/adult sons, parents- and siblings-in-law, and post-divorce relationships is provided.
Offers commentary by leading family communication scholars: This book brings together the best of the research being conducted on various types of family relationships and showcases the work of some of the most respected scholars within the field of family communication.
Includes abundant references: A comprehensive reference section provides rich sources of literature reviews not included in many other texts to help students and scholars with their own projects and research.
Intended Audience: Perfect supplementary textbook for undergraduate and introductory graduate courses in Family Communication; also relevant for many courses in Human Communication, Family Psychology, Family Studies, and Social Psychology
Author Biography:
Kory Floyd is a professor of communication and professor of psychology at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on the communication of affection in close relationships and its effects on stress and physiological functioning. He has written 16 books and over 100 scientific papers and book chapters on the topics of affection, emotion, family communication, nonverbal behavior, and health. He is a Fellow of the International Communication Association and a former editor of Communication Monographs and Journal of Family Communication. His work has been recognized with the Mark Knapp award for distinguished scholarship in interpersonal communication, the Bernard J. Brommel award for distinguished scholarship in family communication, and the Charles H. Woolbert award for lasting scholarly contribution from the National Communication Association. He has also received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Western States Communication Association, and the Early Career Achievement award from the International Association for Relationship Research. One of his most recent books, The Loneliness Cure, examines the problem of affection deprivation and identifies strategies for increasing affection and intimacy in close relationships. As an educator, he teaches courses on health communication, emotional communication, close relationships, communication theory, and quantitative research methods. A native of Seattle, Professor Floyd received his undergraduate degree from Western Washington University, his master’s degree from the University of Washington, and his PhD from the University of Arizona.
Mark T. Morman is a professor of communication in the Department of Communication at Baylor University. For more than 33 years he has taught interpersonal and family communication at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to publications in professional journals he is the co-editor (along with Dr. Kory Floyd) of Widening the Family Circle: New Research in Family Communication (2nd ed.). His scholarly and curricular interests include the communication of affection, father-son relationships, and men’s health. He served as chair of both the family and interpersonal communication divisions of the National Communication Association and has served on multiple editorial boards including Communication Monographs and the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. He holds a master’s and doctorate in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degrees in communication from Southern Utah University.
