title: Changing family and household:  contemporary lessons from historical research.
abstract: "This essay examines the recent historical research on the family with the objective of identifying useful lessons for students of the contemporary family.  The following themes in the historical research are discussed:  household and family structure, production and reproduction, life course transitions, the emotional content of family life, and the distinctiveness of the 1950s.  The essay concludes with a discussion of theoretical and methodological issues in historical research on the family."  The primary geographic focus is on the United States and other developed countries.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cherlin
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D005190:Family; D005191:Family Characteristics; D009656:North America; D012942:Social Sciences; D014481:United States
keywords: Americas; Demography; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Family And Household; Family Characteristics; Family Demography; Family Life Cycle; Family Research; Historical Demography; Households; Literature Review; North America; Northern America; Social Sciences; United States