Theoretical Orientations in family sociology: In relation to five recent works.

The recent publication in France of five sociological works on the Family (in order of presentation: F. de Singly, J.-C. Kaufmann, I. Thery, M.-Th. Meulders-Klein and I. Thery, M. Segalen, all published in 1993) gives the author the opportunity to establish a sort of ''cartography'' of current theoretical orientations in family sociology. After the explanation that the theoretical criteria are based on two interrogations - Must family sociology aim at a conjugal group or kinship? Can the mutations within the modern family be summed up us a process of ''de-institutionalization''? -, the author by analysing, each work, shoes that they illustrate in this debate four different positions or distinctive approaches which in the end. would appear to have something to do with different degrees of sensitivity in apprehending modernity.