Unprecedented changes that transformed the nation"s social landscape in the late twentieth century drew attention to the fact that existing institutional arrangements between the family and economy were inadequate to respond to emerging, complex issues. The need to recast our thinking in order to respond to these changes stimulated the development of the fourteen original articles included in the present volume. The volume is divided into three parts. The first focuses on the present realities, including gender issues in the workplace; the family effects of the 24-hour economy; and the need to consider the intersection of race, work, and family when casting - a framework to address these emergent issues. The second part presents research on strategies that seek to respond to emergent issues, including part-time managers, negotiating parents" time for involvement with children, and the effects of a community"s downsizing on its social capital. The third section is devoted to timely issues that have important implications for employment and family well-being for women and the preparation of future members of the labor force. In the current set of articles, the authors set the stage for a discussion of what we as a society must consider from this point on in seeking to redefine the institutional arrangements that give meaning and place to individuals and thus serve the broader social good.