The major focus of this book is on patterns of family life that emerge when viewed through the perspective of the different phases of the family life cycle and the various pressures that have changed or reshaped family life during the course of history. Regardless of its title and because the U.S. government does not have a national policy on families, the book gives only a secondary emphasis to public policy. After a brief introduction, Chapters II and III present a static and dynamic portrait of structure in the contemporary family and the major stress points that strain that structure over the course of its existence. Chapter IV analyzes the increase in the number of women in the labor force and Chapter V examines the factors that underlie female employment and the impact it has had on the family and its individual members. Chapter VI reviews the historical development of the marriage tax and Chapter VII identifies ways working wives are penalized by the tax structure. Legislative approaches to and court litigation for tax reform as well as related issues are discussed in Chapters VIII and IX and appendices. Chapters X, XI, XII, XIII and appendices discuss problems of implementing the equal rights amendment (ERA) at the state level and the impact of ERA on ongoing and transitional families. Related issues are also discussed. Chapters XIV and XV report research on the impact of employment on family life in the United States. (Author/RH)