(Today . . . and Free!)
Tuesday, March 3, 7 p.m.
Mukilteo Hall, Edmonds Community College
20000 68th Ave. W., Lynnwood

Edmonds Community College (EdCC) invites the public to the Black Box Theatre this evening (Tuesday, March 3) for Teresa Ciabattari’s presentation, “Family Diversity: Past, Present and Future”.

Ciabattari will lead a discussion examining what we envision when we hear “American family.” How is the definition of ‘family’ changing and why? Whether nuclear, step, foster, extended, transnational, adoptive, or informal, American families are more diverse than ever. The structures of families are changing. Families, now more than ever, are influenced by other social and cultural shifts, such as the rise of single parent households, divorce, opting for cohabitation over marriage, and same-sex marriage. Each of these new definitions of family is rooted in broader economic and social changes that are underway in the U.S. and around the world. Sociologist Teresa Ciabattari leads a conversation that explores the complexity and history of modern American families. Participants will explore how the economy and society influenced these changes, and new ways to interpret changes in make-up and definition of the American family.

A sociologist, Teresa Ciabattari teaches and writes about contemporary American families. Her work explores how economic, social, and historical conditions contribute to diversity. Ciabattari has published several research articles on men’s changing gender ideologies, work-family balance among low-income women, and housework patterns in marriage, remarriage, and cohabitation. She is currently writing a book on the sociology of families.

Ciabattari earned her Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Washington in 2001. Since 2007, she has been a faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University, where she is affiliated with both the Department of Sociology and the Women’s and Gender Studies Program.