Why have single-parent, stepparent and unmarried-parent families become so common? How does having parents of different races or parents of the same gender affect children? What are the social and psychological ways that fathers contribute to families? What are the consequences for growing numbers of children who live apart from their biological fathers?

Such questions are at the heart of the first three-year theme of the Institute for Social Sciences (ISS) at Cornell University. To kick off the second year of this theme, team leader H. Elizabeth Peters, professor of policy analysis and management in the College of Human Ecology, will give a free and open lecture, "The Family: Dissolving or Evolving?" Wednesday, April 20, at 3 p.m. in G10 Biotechnology Building. The lecture will address the research questions the Cornell interdisciplinary team will focus on this coming year. David Harris, director of the institute and professor of sociology at Cornell, will give an introduction.

"We are bringing together a select group of faculty from a range of disciplines, including anthropology, biology, demography, economics, human development, policy analysis, psychology, sociology and women's studies, to explore a radically evolving social institution -- the modern family. Studies will include causes of family change, the broader impacts on society and the impact on individual life course development of men, women and children," says Peters. "Next fall we will launch weekly research seminars on campus that will discuss works-in-progress, develop collaborative projects and produce research papers and policy briefs pertaining to marriage and fatherhood. The ultimate goal is to develop ongoing collaborations that will put Cornell on the map in the area of research on the family."

The ISS, established in 2004 at Cornell, chose the evolving family as its first theme last summer to explore issues such as how race, ethnicity and social class influence marriage and fatherhood; how the meaning of marriage and sexual partnerships has changed over the past 30 years; how these changes affect children; what factors influence the timing of fatherhood; what determines responsible fathering; and how the behaviors of nonhuman animals inform issues regarding marriage and fatherhood.

About a dozen eminent social scientists from across Cornell's campus will work on the institute's theme, conducting collaborative research, sponsoring seminars and outreach activities, offering new courses and engaging students, faculty and staff in interdisciplinary discussions pertaining to the evolving family, worldwide.

A related web site Cornell Institute for the Social Science.