DEPRIVATIZATION AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF DOMESTIC LIFE

Interpretations of family and domestic life are increasingly deprivati zed, that is, accomplished in various sites outside the household. Add ressing this situation, this article has two goals. First, it presents a constructionist approach to family studies that views family as a s ocial object constituted through interpretive practice. Second, it doc uments how family images and meanings are rationalized public accompli shments. Featuring Two interpretive conditions-local culture and organ izational embeddedness-we illustrate the socially situated constructio n of family and discuss analytic implications of the constructionist a pproach.