Communicating with Our Families: Technology as Continuity, Interruption, and Transformation

Communicating with Our Families: Continuity, Interruption, and Transformation examines how communication technologies are shaping childhood, parenthood, and families by exploring topics such as parental loneliness, family storytelling, family technology rules, mindful technology usage, multigenerational communication, and community. The scholars in this volume work from a human communication perspective and use various research modes of inquiry including quantitative, qualitative, and interpretive methods. Perhaps the most significant question implied by our contributors in this volume is whether the introduction of new communication technologies will fundamentally alter familial forms and if those new groupings that emerge will resemble what has been generally assumed for several millennia.

Jill K. Burk is associate teaching professor and program chair of the Communication Arts and Sciences program at Penn State University, Berks. Christina L. McDowell is senior lecturer of Marketing and Management Communication at Cornell University in the SC Johnson College of Business, Nolan School of Hotel Administration.

Paul's first play Swamp City was produced by the Birmingham Rep in 1996. The Birmingham Rep also commissioned adn mounted All That Trouble That We Had (May 1999) and The Slight Witch (2000), both directed by Anthony Clark at The Door. His most recent play, The Dice House, was mounted at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, in 2001. He has also written The Iguanodon, a three part series for Radio 4 (broadcast in 1997). He was born in Coventry and curently lives in Cardiff.

Christina L. McDowell Marinchak is assistant professor in the Management and Marketing Department at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Maryl R. McGinley is associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.