Diversity in Family Life: Gender, Relationships and Social Change

by Elisabetta Ruspini

Overview

As new forms of family and 'non-traditional' families grow in number, there is a need to understand these 'new' arrangements and models of parenthood.

This ground-breaking book discusses, using a comparative and a sociological perspective, examples of the relationship between changing gender identities and processes of family formation in the Western experience. It aims to show that, in the 21st century, it is possible to form a family without sex, without children, without a shared home, without a partner, without a working husband, without a heterosexual orientation or without a biological' sexual body.

'Diversity in family life' will help readers discover and understand the characteristics, advantages and drawbacks of these new models of parenthood, and their political implications in terms of social movements, characteristics and demands.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781447300939
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	06/01/2013
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Elisabetta Ruspini is Associate Professor in Sociology at the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy. She is the director of the Centre for Media Research “In Chiaro” (University of Milano-Bicocca). She has extensive teaching and research experience, and has published widely on gender issues. She is the main editor of the book series “Generi, culture, sessualità - Gender, Cultures, Sexualities”, published by FrancoAngeli, Milano

Table of Contents

Introduction: Gender, family and social change: from modernity to the Millennial generation;

Family, family change, modernity;

Family, family change, contemporary modernities;

The book;

Section One: Gender change and challenges to intimacy and sexual relations

Asexual women and men: living without sex;

Asexuality: a complex concept;

Research on asexuality;

Asexuality, couples, children;

The asexual movement;

Childfree women and men: living without children;

The term ‘childfree’;

Research on childfree women and men;

Reasons to be childfree;

The childfree movement;

Couples together yet apart:‘I love you but do not want to live with you’;

The term ‘living apart together’;

Research on living apart together couples;

Reasons for living apart;

Invisible living apart together people?;

Section Two: Gender change and challenges to traditional forms of parenthood

Stay-at-home husbands and fathers;

Stay-at-home men;

Research on stay-at-home husbands and fathers;

Male carers, couples and children;

The househusbands’/stay-at-home fathers’ movement;

Lone mothers and lone fathers;

Lone mothers and lone fathers through history;

Research on lone parenting;

Lone parenting and children;

The lone parenthood movement: from marginalisation to empowerment

Homosexual and trans parents;

Homosexual and transgender parenting;

Research on homosexual parenting;

Research on transgender parenting;

The homosexual and trans parents rights movement;

Conclusions: what can we learn?;

Glossary of key concepts;

Index

Editorial Reviews

This is an interesting and innovative text which provides very useful coverage of the main dimensions of change in intimacies and family relations.

Kath Woodward

An interesting and innovative book. . . . Has something to offer a wide range of students, researchers, and academics and family policy makers.

LSE Review of Books