Families, Relationships and Intimate Life

Description

Families, Relationships and Intimate Life, Second Edition is a thorough exploration of the controversies, contradictions and broad patterns that characterize contemporary relationships and families. Beginning with the conceptual scaffolding of families in their historical and cultural context this text includes the key cultural differences of ethnicity, class and sexuality. Theoretical perspectives including functionalism, feminist approaches and reflexive modernization are also clearly outlined. Once the groundwork has been established this book delves into examining the complexity of contemporary family life, covering key elements in the life course - childhood, youth, partnering, parenting and ageing and both the positive and negative sides of family life including intimacy and violence. Contents Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction Defining families and relationships Thinking sociologically Why study families and relationships? Structure of the book Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 2: Relationships and families over time Introduction Pre-modern families (circa pre-eighteenth century) Modern families (eighteenth–mid twentieth century) Families and relationships in late modernity Indigenous Australian families History of East Asian and South-East Asian families Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 3: Diversity in families and relationships Introduction Diversity beyond the nuclear family Contemporary Indigenous Australian families Culturally and linguistically diverse immigrant families Social class Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 4: Sociological perspectives on relationships and families Introduction Structural functionalism Political economy perspective Feminism Individualisation Micro-sociological perspectives Queer theory Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 5: Young people, relationships and sexuality Introduction Leaving home Young people and partnering Changing concepts of young adulthood Intimate relationships Sexuality Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 6: Love, Commitment and marriage Introduction Love and romance Changing relationship patterns Marriage patterns in Australia Unmarried cohabitation The pure relationship and ‘the transformation of intimacy’ Gay marriage and commitment ceremonies Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 7: Relating beyond the cohabiting couple Introduction Beyond heterorelationality Friendship The single life The emotional and social significance of group households Living apart together (LAT) Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 8: Fertility, technology and family change Introduction Fertility trends Social consequences of low fertility rates Explanations for fertility behaviour Cultural beliefs about parenting Assisted reproductive technologies and family change Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 9: Parenting, children and childcare Introduction Childhood and historical change in western countries Cultural differences in childhood Changing research perspectives on childhood Families and new media technologies Parenting Diverse parenting contexts Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 10: Families and labour Introduction A brief history of gendered work Families and the paid labour market Domestic labour Explaining inequality Domestic labour, fairness and change Domestic labour arrangements in lesbian and gay relationships Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 11: Separation, divorce and reconstituted families Introduction Divorce rates: change and continuity Changes in the institutional basis of marriage Causes of divorce The impact of divorce Step-families/blended-families/reconfigured families/post-divorce families Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 12: Violence in intimate relationships Introduction Defining and naming violence in intimate relationships A continuum of violent behaviours Australian patterns and trends Explanations for domestic and family violence Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 13: Ageing, care and intergenerational relationships Introduction An ageing Australian population: demographic characteristics and implications Sociological perspectives on ageing Grandparenting Conclusion Key concepts Discussion questions Recommended further reading Chapter 14: Conclusion: new families, new relationships? Intimate life and the wider society Love and panic The future of families Glossary References Index