Just Like Family

In this fascinating book, Laurent-Simpson discusses how nontraditional families such as childfree families, LGBTQ families, and grandparent families have helped to make the multispecies family the norm. As people began to focus less on survival and more on happiness—the family structure evolved along with it—with dogs right by our side. Laurent-Simpson also considers the impacts of the multispecies family on the birthrate in the United States, which hit a record low in 2020. * The Bark *

Deftly weaving identity theory, family studies, symbolic interactionism, and animal studies, Just
Like Family has broad versatility and reach in sociology. In this book, Laurent-Simpson delivers the rare combination of readability, relatability and rigor. She provides compelling stories from pet parents as well as examples from popular culture that show, quite clearly, the ways in which companion animals have nosed their way from pets to family members and in so doing, created a new family structure. The importance of this transition in family form is thoroughly explained and supported with reference to multiple fields. Additionally, with the use of triangulation in data collection, this book is a great exemplar of qualitative research and would be excellent for a qualitative methods class, in addition to courses focusing on family or identity.

-- Beth Montemurro, author of Deserving Desire: Women's Stories of Sexual Evolution
When a subtle social change happens slowly, over the course of many decades, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how the present moment came to be. Such is the case with pets becoming members of the family. With a wealth of heartwarming stories and informative demographic analyses, Andrea Laurent-Simpson shows how family structures have evolved to include beloved animal companions. These contemporary multi-species families have created their own identities, roles, and boundaries to define 'family' for themselves. From 'pet parents' taking care of their 'animal kids,' to children seeing themselves as 'siblings' to their companion animals, Laurent-Simpson demonstrates how animal companions moved from being “owned” to claiming a status as a member of the family. -- Elizabeth Cherry, author of For the Birds: Protecting Wildlife Through the Naturalist Gaze
Increasing numbers of people now regard their companion animals as members of the family. Although some critics consider this very idea frivolous, Andrea Laurent-Simpson takes people’s claims seriously and investigates how we incorporate non-human beings into a group long regarded as uniquely human. The resulting analysis sheds valuable light on the dynamics of the more-than-human family. With its impeccable research and graceful prose, Just Like Family holds insights for scholars and lay readers alike. -- Leslie Irvine, editor of We Are Best Friends: Animals in Society
Andrea Laurent-Simpson’s book skillfully combines the micro and macro level of analysis…It is, therefore, a very versatile research approach, which gives the whole picture of the changes to American families and the position of companion animals in American society. * Symbolic Interaction *
Just Like Family is joy to read. It should find a significant lay and academic audience and would contribute considerably to a range of college courses including sociology of the family, social psychology, and human animal studies. * Social Forces *
Laurent-Simpson (Southern Methodist Univ.) contends that the American family unit has changed over time to incorporate a multispecies dimension as household pets have come to be increasingly considered part of the family, representing new relationships and transforming existing ones. Utilizing interviews, observational data, and artifacts from popular culture, the author compellingly argues for taking pets seriously as family members. Among her key observations are not just the importance of pets as companions to whom owners devote economic and emotional resources but that the way in which humans understand these relationships as similar to parent/child relationships has changed the way Americans think about these traditional roles. Many of the most intriguing insights call for further investigation, including the gendered dimensions of companion animals in which cultural expectations of motherhood are often transferred onto “pet parents,” reflected in both the attitudes and consumption patterns of interviewees and coinciding with declining fertility rates. In addition, racialized patterns of ownership suggest that the multispecies family is primarily a white phenomenon with significant class-based dimensions. Of interest to family and animal studies scholars, this text provides a fascinating snapshot of the ways pets are active and transformative agents. * Choice *
Laurent-Simpson’s clear and accessible writing style makes this book ideal for all readers interested in the companion animal as family, whether for academic inquiry or personal curiosity. * American Journal of Sociology *