Models, data, and methods -- Views of changes in family life from reading history sideways -- The fertility decline in northwest Europe -- Changes in family life in the northwest European historical record -- The scholarly legacy -- The legacy of data -- Developmental idealism -- Freedom, equality, and consent in northwest European family relationships -- Fighting barbarism in the United States -- Governmental pathways of influence outside northwest Europe -- Social and economic pathways of influence outside northwest Europe -- The power of developmental thinking -- Postscript : dealing with the language of the developmental paradigm.