A History of the Family

Published in two volumes, this major work examines the history of the family from prehistory to the present day. A team of leading international scholars provides a comprehensive analysis of the changing forms of kinship and family life. The time–span and geographical distance covered is impressive: from Egypt of the Pharaohs to contemporary Europe, from ancient China to post–colonial Africa. Introduced by Claude Lèi–Strauss and Georges Duby, Volume One of A History of the Family examines ancient and medieval societies both inside and outside Europe, focusing on the genesis and gradual transformation of the family through history. It analyses the ancient world, the Middle ages and the Far East respectively. The first section includes studies on the prehistory of the family, the family in ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. The second section focuses on medieval worlds, from Barbarian Europe to Byzantium. The final section examines the role of the family in non–European societies, from the Islamic world to China, the Hebrew world to Japan and India. Drawing on a wide range of historical and anthropological materials, A History of the Family is a truly interdisciplinary study, bringing together historians, sociologists and anthropologists. It will become the standard work on the history of the family for students and researchers in social and cultural history, anthropology and sociology and it will be of interest to anyone concerned with the nature of family life.