(Chapter 1) Explain at length on the various challenges to couples and families that are outlined in the text—stress, change, and materialism; lack of time for oneself and significant others; increasing use of child care outside the family; instability of couple and family relationships; violence; a sexually charged society; use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; the Internet and human relationships; changing gender roles; the balance of power in intergender relationships; urban migration and overcrowding; and financial problems and the global economy.