NEW ACTION THEORY AND CONTEMPORARY FAMILIES

Growing diversities among families and households throughout Western societies are documented. The prevailing conceptual approach has been to distinguish ''the family'' from alternative life-styles. That dichotomy, rooted in functionalist thought (''old action theory'') is rejected. Drawing on what is called ''new action theory'' a model for conceptualizing contemporary families is presented. The model assumes that persons construct their families within a societal context that, as Giddens argues, is both constraining and enabling. The authors conceive of families as primary groups. There are least four kinds of interdependencies-each with numerous subfacets, and existing in varied combinations-that give rise to perceptions of families: extrinsic, intrinsic, sexual, and formal. The authors identify two broad expressions of primary groups. One is based on generalized exchange and univocal reciprocity. The other rests on restricted exchange and mutual reciprocity/contingency. Because the authors argue that social theory cannot be divorced from social policy, they offer policy implications of this theoretical approach.