From Lapham’s Quarterly, a special issue on family. Mariana Pargendler (Getulio Vargas): The Rise and Decline of Legal Families. Joshua Wilt (Northwestern): Normal Families Facing Unique Challenges: The Psychosocial Functioning of Multiracial Couples, Parents and Children. Darren Rosenblum (Pace): Unsex Mothering: Toward a New Culture of Parenting. Chloe Taylor (Alberta): Foucault and Familial Power. Why French parents are superior: While Americans fret over modern parenthood, the French are raising happy, well-behaved children without all the anxiety. A French dad and an American mom discuss the controversial parenting book Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman (and more). Ruth Franklin on why no book will fix what’s wrong with American parenting. Laura McKenna on explaining Annette Lareau, or, why parenting style ensures inequality. Ron Taffel on the decline and fall of parental authority. What is family really? Anna Brix Thomsen says family is fascism. From The New Yorker, is procreation immoral? Elizabeth Kolbert on the case against kids.
