Vanessa May – författare

I denna introduktion till familjesociologi undersöker Vanessa May vad familj och nära relationer betyder i olika sociokulturella kontexter. Boken ger en bild av de huvudsakliga teoretiska utvecklingslinjerna inom fältet, skapar en förståelse av familj som samhällsinstitution och diskuterar centrala frågor som formar dagens familjer – som normförändringar och teknisk utveckling. I boken undersöks hur familjer har definierats, begreppsliggjorts och styrts runt om i världen och hur familjeliv levs i vardagen, med fokus på kroppslighet, materialitet, rum, tid och mobilitet. Boken är också en introduktion till hur familjer har förståtts, teoretiserats och analyserats inom familjesociologin, och författaren fäster där särskild uppmärksamhet vid ämnets blinda fläckar: framställningen präglas genomgående av en strävan att lyfta fram företeelser som hittills ställts i bakgrunden och att skifta fokus geografiskt och tematiskt – och därigenom erbjuda en mer inkluderande familjesociologi.Familjer ges här ut i svensk översättning med ett förord av Terese Anving och Sara Eldén. Boken vänder sig till studenter i sociologi, genusvetenskap och andra samhällsvetenskapliga ämnen, men är värdefull läsning för alla som intresserar sig för familjer i samhället.

Belonging is often overlooked in its relationship to society and social change, and yet it forms the bedrock of how we relate to the world around us. Through the work of Marx, Giddens and Goffman, this book covers the familiar terrain of identity theory, while going beyond it to other sites of identification and social change.

Belonging is often overlooked in its relationship to society and social change, and yet it forms the bedrock of how we relate to the world around us. Through the work of Marx, Giddens and Goffman, this book covers the familiar terrain of identity theory, while going beyond it to other sites of identification and social change.

Examining the relationships between architecture, home and community in the Claremont Court housing scheme in Edinburgh, Home and Community provides a novel perspective on the enabling potential of architecture that encompasses physical, spatial, relational and temporal phenomena.Based on the AHRC funded project "Place and Belonging", the chapters draw on innovative spatial layouts amid Scottish policymakers' concerns of social change in the 1960s, to develop theoretical understandings between architecture, home, and community. By approaching the discourse on home, and by positioning the home at the confluence of a network of sociocultural identities bound by spatial awareness and design, the writers draw on sociological interpretations of cultural negotiation as well as theoretical underpinnings in architectural design. In so doing, they suggest a reinterpretation of the facilitating role of architecture as sensitive to physical and socio-cultural reconstruction.Drawn from interviews with residents, architectural surveys, contextual mapping and other visual methods, Home and Community explores home as a construct that is enmeshed with the architectural affordances that the housing scheme represents, that is useful to both architecture and sociology students, as well as practitioners and urban planners.

Examining the relationships between architecture, home and community in the Claremont Court housing scheme in Edinburgh, Home and Community provides a novel perspective on the enabling potential of architecture that encompasses physical, spatial, relational and temporal phenomena.Based on the AHRC funded project "Place and Belonging", the chapters draw on innovative spatial layouts amid Scottish policymakers' concerns of social change in the 1960s, to develop theoretical understandings between architecture, home, and community. By approaching the discourse on home, and by positioning the home at the confluence of a network of sociocultural identities bound by spatial awareness and design, the writers draw on sociological interpretations of cultural negotiation as well as theoretical underpinnings in architectural design. In so doing, they suggest a reinterpretation of the facilitating role of architecture as sensitive to physical and socio-cultural reconstruction.Drawn from interviews with residents, architectural surveys, contextual mapping and other visual methods, Home and Community explores home as a construct that is enmeshed with the architectural affordances that the housing scheme represents, that is useful to both architecture and sociology students, as well as practitioners and urban planners.

What can sociology tell us about our personal lives, families and intimate relationships? This book explains how key theoretical perspectives and relevant contemporary research in the discipline can shed new light on even the most familiar areas of our everyday worlds. From friendships and pets, to political engagement and social legislation, the text shows how distinctions and connections can be drawn between our public and private lives. Each chapter explores a familiar topic that illustrates how individual relationships and lives can be shaped by social contexts, and how personal choices shape the wider social world. Using vivid case examples drawn from topical areas of debate, such as marriage rights and the role of social networking, the book is clearly laid out and easy to read. It gives useful explanations of theory and invaluable advice on how to carry out research on personal lives and relationships. This is essential reading for students of sociology interested in family, relationships and beyond.New to this Edition:- Pre-existing chapters have been fully re-written- Includes a number of new chapters on topics such as the body, home and personal life in public spaces.- Reformulated ‘questions for discussion’ at the end of each chapter.

In this accessible and engagingly written book, Vanessa May invites readers into the rich world of thought, research and study of the highly diverse phenomenon of families and family life. The book explores what is and has been understood by ‘family’ in different sociocultural contexts and how family life intersects with social spheres such as the state, the labour market and the economy. Alongside broad social developments such as (post)colonialism and austerity and their connections with changing family patterns, the book engages interdisciplinary work on time, embodiment and materiality in order to offer a multidimensional perspective on the day-to-day lives of families. Drawing from research in the Global North and the Global South, the text carefully considers how people approach the study of families and thus offers insight into the shape of mainstream family studies today.The book offers a timely intervention into current debates within family studies and suggests avenues of investigation that deserve further attention, and will be an invaluable resource to students and scholars alike.

In this accessible and engagingly written book, Vanessa May invites readers into the rich world of thought, research and study of the highly diverse phenomenon of families and family life. The book explores what is and has been understood by ‘family’ in different sociocultural contexts and how family life intersects with social spheres such as the state, the labour market and the economy. Alongside broad social developments such as (post)colonialism and austerity and their connections with changing family patterns, the book engages interdisciplinary work on time, embodiment and materiality in order to offer a multidimensional perspective on the day-to-day lives of families. Drawing from research in the Global North and the Global South, the text carefully considers how people approach the study of families and thus offers insight into the shape of mainstream family studies today.The book offers a timely intervention into current debates within family studies and suggests avenues of investigation that deserve further attention, and will be an invaluable resource to students and scholars alike.

How can sociological thinking help us make sense of today’s biggest global challenges? In the midst of an ‘age of crisis’, headlines are dominated by topic such as climate change, migration, radicalization and inequality. These topics are core to sociology, yet sociological insights are drowned out in public debate frequently dominated by technological optimism, economic rhetoric or polarizing politics.This accessible textbook centres the sociological voice. It demonstrates how evidence-based, critical perspectives can illuminate the causes, interconnections and possible solutions to some of the most urgent issues of our time. Each chapter is crafted to support students new to sociology, guiding them to think critically and make connections between complex global problems. Pedagogical features include:•minimal jargon, with key sociological terms bold-highlighted and defined on first use;•‘Focus point’ boxes with data, case studies or visual insights;•suggested sources for further exploration, including videos and online media.This is essential reading for undergraduate students and anyone working in policy, advocacy or social change—offering the tools to think critically, act thoughtfully and engage with today’s most pressing global challenges.

How can sociological thinking help us make sense of today’s biggest global challenges? In the midst of an ‘age of crisis’, headlines are dominated by topic such as climate change, migration, radicalization and inequality. These topics are core to sociology, yet sociological insights are drowned out in public debate frequently dominated by technological optimism, economic rhetoric or polarizing politics.This accessible textbook centres the sociological voice. It demonstrates how evidence-based, critical perspectives can illuminate the causes, interconnections and possible solutions to some of the most urgent issues of our time. Each chapter is crafted to support students new to sociology, guiding them to think critically and make connections between complex global problems. Pedagogical features include:•minimal jargon, with key sociological terms bold-highlighted and defined on first use;•‘Focus point’ boxes with data, case studies or visual insights;•suggested sources for further exploration, including videos and online media.This is essential reading for undergraduate students and anyone working in policy, advocacy or social change—offering the tools to think critically, act thoughtfully and engage with today’s most pressing global challenges.

Vanessa May gives a moving account of what she went through after the unexpected death of her son, demonstrating that it's possible to survive such a shattering and traumatic loss, even when that might feel impossible. By sharing her personal experience, the author enables others who have gone through a similar loss to feel less isolated in their grief. She also provides advice on supporting physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing using her experience - not just as a bereaved mother, but as a nutritional therapist, wellbeing coach and now holistic grief coach. She offers the reader various tools for withstanding a devastating loss and for navigating a particularly challenging path. Love Untethered is about holding on to hope when it feels like there isn’t any, and about finding purpose as a means of surviving a devastating and life-changing bereavement.

For most people, grief is an inevitable part of life and if you're a wellness practitioner, then the likelihood is that you will at some point work with a bereaved client. This may initially seem like a heavy responsibility and so this guide aims to help you feel prepared and confident in how you support your client. It will explain how loss and grief can place tremendous strain on the body and how it may manifest physically, mentally, and spiritually, whilst equipping you with the tools and resources you need to support your grieving client.Vanessa May draws from over 16 years' worth of experience as a registered nutritional therapist, wellbeing coach, and trauma-informed holistic grief coach. As a result, she is able to cover nutritional medicine support whilst also educating readers on grief models and theories versus the actual reality of grief through her own experiences of traumatic loss and various case studies.This is an invaluable book for all types of wellness practitioners and therapists who would like to understand how to approach and make space for their clients' bereavement.

This book assumes an “everyday life” perspective towards masking in public spaces in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic. Facemasks are perhaps one of the most tangible ways in which the changes wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic were made visible. In the space of a few months in 2020, masking in the UK went from being almost non-existent in public to becoming widespread, both before and after the UK government mandated masking in most enclosed public spaces in July 2020. In this context, the speed and scale of the introduction of masking in public settings offers sociologists a rare chance to document the (contested) emergence of a new social practice. The authors argue that the nature of masking during the pandemic means that masking practices need to be understood through the entwinement of material, interactional, and moral dimensions. By developing a relational perspective to explore the relationship between the materiality and moral significance of masking, and how this translated into the development of masking practices in public spaces, the authors argue further that the specific context of masking during the pandemic provides sociologists with a unique lens to think through the nature of material, interactional, and moral practices in general.