The Politics of the Family : From Homo Sapien to Homo Economicus

This book sets out to explain and justify the importance of the family as the central basis of human identity and of social values. Its first chapter provides a synthesis of ethological and sociobiological theories concerning the evolutionary basis of human nurturance. The second chapter considers the cultural dimensions of childhood socialization. On the basis of the first two chapters, the second half of the book discusses the important though threatened functions of the family in modern society.