Bren Neale – författare

This exciting new book engages with the recent resurgence of interest in the family, offering empirical material and theoretical analysis which give rise to a fresh understanding of the nature of family practices in modern societies. The past decade has seen the emergence of an orthodoxy which depicts the family as being in moral decline and 'blames' parents for the harms of divorce. Family Fragments? takes issue with this political vision and with the idea that divorce is inevitably a harmful process. Although some households are fragmenting, the authors argue that moral commitments are not simply sundered. Instead they put forward a different perspective on divorce as well as formulating principles of policy based on an ethic of care.Family Fragments? draws on a qualitative study of separating parents and examines the diverse and fluid patterns of parenthood that are negotiated and re-negotiated in the aftermath of separation. The authors show that the quality of parental relationships, both before and after separation, are vital for achieving joint parenting after divorce. They examine the moral reasoning of parents and explain how this may vary considerably with the sort of solutions imposed in a legal forum.This book has a direct bearing on current debates concerning the family and will be essential reading for those studying gender and family relations in sociology, social policy, law and social work.

This exciting new book engages with the recent resurgence of interest in the family, offering empirical material and theoretical analysis which give rise to a fresh understanding of the nature of family practices in modern societies. The past decade has seen the emergence of an orthodoxy which depicts the family as being in moral decline and 'blames' parents for the harms of divorce. Family Fragments? takes issue with this political vision and with the idea that divorce is inevitably a harmful process. Although some households are fragmenting, the authors argue that moral commitments are not simply sundered. Instead they put forward a different perspective on divorce as well as formulating principles of policy based on an ethic of care.Family Fragments? draws on a qualitative study of separating parents and examines the diverse and fluid patterns of parenthood that are negotiated and re-negotiated in the aftermath of separation. The authors show that the quality of parental relationships, both before and after separation, are vital for achieving joint parenting after divorce. They examine the moral reasoning of parents and explain how this may vary considerably with the sort of solutions imposed in a legal forum.This book has a direct bearing on current debates concerning the family and will be essential reading for those studying gender and family relations in sociology, social policy, law and social work.

Family life in modern societies is being transformed by high rates of divorce. Such changes have given rise to concerns that the quality of family life for children has deteriorated and that children are damaged by the choices their parents are making. It is possible, however, that children and families are more resilient than this. Rather than witnessing the end of the family and the end of contented childhood, we could be seeing the emergence of post-divorce families and new experiences of childhood based on these new arrangements. This path-breaking book explores children's own accounts of family life after divorce and allows us to see these changes from their point of view. It provides a sociological perspective on how childhood may be changing and how the 'democratic' status of children in the family may be in the process of transformation. The implications for family and legal policy of listening to children's views are also set out. The Changing Experience of Childhood will be of interest to all those in academic and public life concerned about the future of the family.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Qualitative Longitudinal Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This volume offers a new introduction to an evolving research method in the social sciences. Qualitative Longitudinal (QL) research is conducted through time. In its qualitative dimensions it opens up the potential to ‘think dynamically’ in creative, flexible and innovative ways. QL enquiry is rooted in a long-established tradition of qualitative temporal research, spanning the fields of social anthropology, sociological re-studies and biographical research. But over the past two decades, a growing body of scholarship has begun to document this approach and explore its theoretical underpinnings. This in turn has fuelled a growing interest in and rapid uptake of QL methodology across the disciplines and in international context.This practical volume will be a first port of call for students and researchers wishing to use QL research in their own projects. The chapters follow a logical development, from conceptual and methodological foundations, to research practice and ethics, to the generation and analysis of data. Each chapter offers practical examples drawn from the research field to illustrate key themes and the rich possibilities for new applications.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Qualitative Longitudinal Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This volume offers a new introduction to an evolving research method in the social sciences. Qualitative Longitudinal (QL) research is conducted through time. In its qualitative dimensions it opens up the potential to ‘think dynamically’ in creative, flexible and innovative ways. QL enquiry is rooted in a long-established tradition of qualitative temporal research, spanning the fields of social anthropology, sociological re-studies and biographical research. But over the past two decades, a growing body of scholarship has begun to document this approach and explore its theoretical underpinnings. This in turn has fuelled a growing interest in and rapid uptake of QL methodology across the disciplines and in international context.This practical volume will be a first port of call for students and researchers wishing to use QL research in their own projects. The chapters follow a logical development, from conceptual and methodological foundations, to research practice and ethics, to the generation and analysis of data. Each chapter offers practical examples drawn from the research field to illustrate key themes and the rich possibilities for new applications.

Around 1 in 10 children born in the UK are fathered by men under the age of 25. These men are often from socially disadvantaged areas and frequently overlooked in both research and practice settings. Using findings from a major Economic and Social Research Council study, supplemented with additional data, the authors focus on the transitions of the young men into early parenthood and their unfolding lives thereafter.As negative popular and media discourse around young fathers begins to shift, policy makers, practitioners, researchers and students will find future policy and practice directions designed to nurture the potential of these young men and their children.

Around 1 in 10 children born in the UK are fathered by men under the age of 25. These men are often from socially disadvantaged areas and frequently overlooked in both research and practice settings. Using findings from a major Economic and Social Research Council study, supplemented with additional data, the authors focus on the transitions of the young men into early parenthood and their unfolding lives thereafter.As negative popular and media discourse around young fathers begins to shift, policy makers, practitioners, researchers and students will find future policy and practice directions designed to nurture the potential of these young men and their children.

Brimming with life maps, life history calendars, and extracts from transcripts and diaries, this book illustrates by example the unique principles, challenges, and applications of qualitative longitudinal research.

Synthesizing current literature on qualitative longitudinal research, it brings together sociological theory and empirically driven longitudinal studies while also highlighting a range of possible research approaches. With a consistent balance of conceptual discussions with hands-on advice, it provides readers with the foundation to adapt lessons-learned from other researchers to fit their own qualitative longitudinal studies.

Supported by research tools such as conceptual road maps, short data extracts, consent forms, and other data organization tools, this book provides everything postgraduate researchers need to transition from the classroom to the field.