Diversity in Family Life

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

"This is an interesting and innovative text which provides very useful coverage of the main dimensions of change in intimacies and family relations." ---Professor Kath Woodward, Open University. "an interesting and innovative book...has something to offer a wide range of students, researchers and academics and family policy makers" Donna Peach Lecturer in Social Work, University of Salford and PhD Psychology student at University of Huddersfield

• 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 relationsAsexual 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 parenthoodStay-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 empowermentHomosexual 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