A multidisciplinary summary of the complex question of the contemporary family. The author, both an academic and a practitioner, explores the evolution of the family in its multiple dimensions, be they demographic, historical, sociological, legal or psychological.

The family is at the heart of today's societal debates - whether about same-sex parenthood, the status of the step-parent or medically assisted reproduction. A few years on from the ratification of the law allowing "marriage for all", this book provides a didactic outline of where we are today regarding this sensitive topic. There are now a multitude of family configurations: traditional families, single-parent families, blended families, same-sex families... Some see it as a break-up of the family institution. Yet the family institution has never been in such a strong position, finding a way to encompass all members of the population, from homosexual to traditional couples. Everyone wants to "make a family", and not just any family, a "good family".