What does the family reveal about the society that created it?

In The American Family, Katherine Anthony takes a sharp, provocative look at one of America’s most enduring—and most debated—institutions. Examining family life during a period of dramatic social and economic change, Anthony challenges the comfortable assumptions surrounding marriage, parenthood, gender roles, money, divorce, and the upbringing of children.

With wit and an unmistakably critical eye, Anthony explores the shrinking American household, the changing economic position of husbands and wives, the increasing independence of women, shifting attitudes toward marriage and divorce, and the enormous influence parents and the home have on the development of children.

Rather than presenting the family as an unchanging ideal, Anthony reveals an institution caught between tradition and modernity—holding tightly to old conventions even as American life transforms around it.

Originally appearing in Civilization in the United States: An Inquiry by Thirty Americans, this fascinating historical essay provides modern listeners with a revealing window into early 20th-century American attitudes toward family, society, economics, and personal freedom.

More than a century later, many of the questions Anthony raises remain surprisingly familiar.

Narrated by Ryan Durham, The American Family is an engaging listen for anyone interested in American history, sociology, family studies, women's history, and the evolution of American culture.