A vital interrogation of the internationally accepted policy and practice consensus that intervention to shape parenting in the early years is the way to prevent disadvantage. Given the divisive assumptions and essentialist ideas behind early years intervention, in whose interests does it really serve? This book critically assesses assertions that the 'wrong type of parenting' has biological and cultural effects, stunting babies' brain development and leading to a life of poverty and under-achievement. It shows how early intervention policies underpinned by interpretations of brain science perpetuate gendered, classed and raced inequalities. The exploration of future directions will be welcomed by those looking for a positive, collectivist vision of the future that addresses the real underlying issues in the creation of disadvantage.

Despite current debate over the paternal role, fatherhood is a relatively new area of investigation in literary, historical and cultural studies. The contributors to this illustrated, interdisciplinary volume - one of the first extended investigations of paternity in nineteenth-century Britain and its empire - penetrate the stereotype of the Victorian paterfamilias to uncover intimate and involved, authoritarian and austere fathers. Finding surprising precursors of the 'new man' and the 'lone father', Trev Lynn Broughton and Helen Rogers provide an essential overview of changing ideologies and practices of fatherhood as the family acquired its distinctively modern form. Gender and Fatherhood in the Nineteenth Century: - offers nuanced re-readings of artistic and literary representations of domesticity, investigations of fathering at home and at work, and of legal, political and religious discourses, suggesting that fatherhood generated more anxiety and debate than previously acknowledged - explores how traditional conceptions of paternal authority worked to accommodate the 'cult of motherhood' - examines how paternal power was embedded in social institutions - shows how models of social fatherhood provided powerful men with a means of negotiating their relationship with working-class men and colonized subjects. As these innovative essays demonstrate, the history of fatherhood can illuminate our understanding of class, society and empire as well as of gender and the family. Together they form an indispensable resource for anyone studying Victorian fatherhood as part of a History, Literature, Art, Social or Cultural Studies course.

This book explores and analyses the evolution of social insurance in Cyprus from 1878, beginning with the arrival of the British after 300 years of Ottoman occupation. Neocleous follows the struggles of the labour movement which raised the issue of social insurance and initiated the campaign for its introduction in Cyprus. The book also evaluates the social conditions of the general population, with particular emphasis on older people, including a detailed study and analysis of their role and the movement for improved pensions. Taking into account historical sources, sociological theory, and anthropological concepts, this discourse is embedded within a rich historical framework, as well as an integration of the most contemporary scholarship in the field.

This innovative book applies contemporary and emergent theories of identity formation to timely questions of identity re/formation and development in immigrant families across diverse ethnicities and age groups. Researchers from across the globe examine the ways in which immigrants from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America dynamically adjust, adapt, and resist aspects of their identities in their host countries as a form of resilience. The book provides a multidisciplinary approach to studying the multidimensional complexities of identity development and immigration and offers critical insights on the experiences of immigrant families. Key areas of coverage include: Factors that affect identity formation, readjustment, and maintenance, including individual differences and social environments. Influences of intersecting immigrant ecologies such as family, community, and complex multidimensions of culture on identity development. Current identity theories and their effectiveness at addressing issues of ethnicity, culture, and immigration. Research challenges to studying various forms of identity. Re/Formation and Identity: The Intersectionality of Development, Culture, and Immigration is an essential resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, professionals, and policymakers in the fields of developmental, social, and cross-cultural psychology, parenting and family studies, social work, and all interrelated disciplines.

Responsible decisions are continually being made in social work. In particular the decision to place a child in a foster home can have far-reaching consequences for their welfare and it is vital that we make the best possible choice on their behalf. Although in the 1960s thousands of children were boarded out every year no systematic attempt had yet been made to summarize this experience as a guide for practice. Thus important decisions lacked the help which past experience could provide. Originally published in 1966, this study assembled the past experience of foster care in one area, analysed it and presented it in such a way that predictions could be made of the outcome of a potential placement. At the time it offered an important contribution to the task of providing the best possible care for children separated from their own families. Today it can be read in its historical context.

Originally published in 1969, this introduction to the social study of the family was designed both for students of sociology and for students of related subjects requiring familiarity with a similar approach. It is therefore written in language as simple as possible; technical terms are only introduced when indispensable and are always defined. While the book is focused on European and American family systems, the author believed these are intelligible only when placed in a wider context, and so the first part is concerned with kinship, marriage and the family in general. He does not attempt to provide a descriptive account of all the empirical studies available but concentrates on what he considers the chief theoretical problems. In consequence this book is argumentative and critical in approach, and never strays far from the central issues of sociological theory; it is, therefore, of value to both students of sociology and to others interested in the perspective which the discipline can give to the study of the family.

Originally published in 1983, the origin of this book is to be found in C. C. Harris's 'Changing conceptions of the relation between family and societal form' (in Scase: Industrial Society: Class, Cleavage and Control). In that article Harris attempted to relate traditional research on the family to recent developments in historical enquiry and Marxist scholarship. The aim of The Family and Industrial Society is to explain the character of the contemporary family by placing it in a wider historical and theoretical perspective. It is therefore directed at the undergraduate student for whom the 'sociology of the family', as a topic, has for too long been relatively unrelated to those contemporary developments in sociological thought and practice which inform other substantive areas of sociological work. The late C.C. Harris is perhaps best known for his best-selling introductory text The Family: An Introduction, first published in 1969. This new text was not, however, a straightforward replacement of an earlier book by a more up-to-date volume. Far too much had happened in sociology, in social studies and in family life itself, for a simple updating to make any sense. The Family was primarily a descriptive introduction, and was a presentation, albeit critical, of an orthodoxy. While this new book retains an introductory element based upon The Family's earlier chapters, the greater part of it is exploratory and assumes a higher level of sophistication and sociological understanding; it is also substantially longer. Dr Harris was singularly well qualified to write a volume of this kind. Not only had he conducted and was conducting empirical research into the family, but his wide theoretical interests rendered him uniquely well placed to contribute to the theoretical development of his field. Few sociologists shared his familiarity with both anthropological and historical work. He was thoroughly familiar with the now unfashionable structural functional approach of which he had always been critical, but was enthusiastic about the potentialities of contemporary developments. The result is a sophisticated text which combines instruction, criticism, interpretation and exploration in one volume; which familiarises the student with the fundamental work of the past (too often neglected) and explores exciting new developments for the future. It also includes the only general discussion of change in the British family since the last edition of Fletcher's The Family and Marriage in Britain.

How can we prevent intimate partner violence (IPV)? And how do we define and measure "success" in preventing it? This book brings together researchers and practitioners from a wide range of fields to examine innovative strategies and programs for preventing IPV. The authors discuss evaluations of current prevention efforts, paying particular attention to underserved groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants and refugees.

Performing the Pied-Noir Family: Constructing Narratives of Settler Memory and Identity in Literature and On-Screen sheds new light on the memory community of the pieds-noir from the Algerian War (1954-1962) as it continues to resonate in France, where the subject was initially repressed in the collective psyche. Aoife Connolly draws on theories of performativity to explore autobiographical and fictional narratives by the settlers in over thirty canonical and non-canonical works of literature and film produced from the colony's imminent demise up to the present day. Connolly focuses on renewed attachment to the family in exile to facilitate a comprehensive analysis of settler masculinity, femininity, childhood, and adolescence and to uncover neglected representations, including homosexual and Jewish voices. Connolly argues that findings on the construction of a post-independence identity and collective memory have broader implications for communities affected by colonization and migration. Scholars of literature, film, Francophone studies, and film studies will find this book particularly useful.

This book provides an accessible introduction to bisexuality studies, set within the context of contemporary social theory and research. Drawing on interviews conducted in the UK and Colombia, it maps out the territory, providing a means of understanding sexualities that are neither gay, nor lesbian, nor heterosexual.

As China has undergone rapid urbanization and population aging in the past few decades, improving the welfare of older people in rural areas has become an ever more pressing issue. This title is the first book-length work to examine the influence of urbanization on the mental health of China's older population outside the city. Incorporating the theoretical framework of social ecology, the author analyzes the socio-cultural factors that have exerted an impact on participants' mental health, such as their personal life course transition, changes to family living arrangements and community restructuring. Moreover, he introduces several elderly mental health intervention models in China, while evaluating the policy initiatives that have developed based on China's local resource sufficiency, cultural customs, and older people's needs. The research findings not only facilitate a deeper understanding of China's welfare policy making, but also offers a useful reference for countries that are experiencing similar urbanization and population aging and that wish to formulate better social policies. Students and scholars of social policy, welfare, and gerontology will find this title to be essential reading.

Originally published in 1979, this was the first text to be concerned explicitly with the analysis of forms of kin and non-kin sociability. Its aim was to compare and contrast the different ways in which sociability was patterned in modern life at the time. Many studies had been concerned with kin relations, rather fewer had examined friendship, while none had attempted to compare these relationships. It was the author's belief that such a comparison was necessary if both kin and non-kin relationships were to be understood more adequately. A Sociology of Friendship and Kinship thus represented a unique and valuable addition to the research literature on both these topics. The text also synthesises a wide range of material from recent empirical research into the sociology of friendship and kinship, though it emphasises that such a synthesis can only be achieved by a careful conceptual and theoretical analysis of the nature of friend and kin relationships. An interesting feature of the book is its fusion of secondary research material with new empirical data gathered by Dr Allan in a study carried out by him in the early 1970s.

This book traces the factors that contributed to the success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea and identifies the concept of familism as a major environmental factor. The government of South Korea has achieved remarkable outcomes in its COVID-19 response, despite the fact that South Korea usually promotes a family-focused investment of resources at the expense of broader social goals. The author eschews these western cultural biases in theories of crisis management and suggests that the key component of South Korea's success is not self-centered egotism of individuals but a focus on family and familism, which projects state as an extension of family. He argues that while the success in managing the COVID-19 epidemic is due to a combination of factors, familism has been a key force in driving this successful response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of governance, crisis management, civil society, and citizen's participation in public administration, international relations, Asian studies, and cultural studies and Confucianism.

This book examines the Red Love vogue that swept across the Asia-Pacific in the 1920s and 1930s as part of a worldwide interest in socialism and follows its trails throughout the twentieth century. Encouraging both political and sexual liberation, Red Love was a transnational movement demonstrating the revolutionary potential of love and desire.

This book provides new insights into the significant gap that currently exists between desired and actual fertility in Europe. It examines how people make decisions about having children and demonstrates how the macro-level environment affects micro-level decision-making. Written by an international team of leading demographers and psychologists, the book presents the theoretical and methodological developments of a three-year, European Commission-funded project named REPRO (Reproductive Decision-Making in a Macro-Micro Perspective). It also provides an overview of the research conducted by REPRO researchers both during and after the project. The book examines fertility intentions from quantitative and qualitative perspectives, demonstrates how the macro-level environment affects micro-level decision-making, and offers a multi-level analysis of fertility-related norms across Europe. Overall, this book offers insight into how people make decisions to have children, when they are most likely to act on their decisions, and how different social and policy settings affect their decisions and actions. It will appeal to researchers, graduate students, and policy advisors with an interest in fertility, demography, and life-course decision making.

This book explores the transnational aspects of divorce experiences. Transnational Divorce uncovers the stories of four main groups of transnational divorcees at the field site of Singapore, including low-income marriage migrant women from less wealthy countries, low-income citizen men, middle-class living apart together divorced parents and overseas-based citizen divorced mothers. Employing transnational, intersectional feminist perspectives, the book extends the author's earlier conceptualisation of divorce biography to propose a new framework of transnational divorce biography. The transnational divorce biography framework provides readers a useful analytical tool to make sense of transnational divorced individuals' messy experiences in working out their transborder intimacy practices. Meandering through their accounts, the author weaves together a strong narrative of inequalities and privileges at the site of intimate life. The book ends with an epilogue on fire dragon feminism where the author discusses place-based feminist mission of activism and resistance. Transnational Divorce will appeal to researchers and policy makers interested in transnational relationships, family studies and sociology in general.

This volume examines the ways in which bordering practices influence the everyday lives of racialized parents in the changing welfare states of Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Focusing on the need to negotiate, adjust, and reconcile family life, parenthood and parenting practices in the face of national, material, ideological, cultural, religious, and moral borders, it considers the manner in which these processes are complicated by recent changes in the legitimation of Nordic welfare states. The case studies centre on migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker parents, as well as parents of the indigenous Sami communities. The book considers the ways in which the welfare state and its services construct borders of respectable parenthood, and examines the efforts on the part of racialized parents to negotiate such borders and organize their transnational everyday lives. Uncovering possibilities and obstacles that exist for families seeking to enact citizenship in the Nordic welfare states, Family Life in Transition will appeal to social scientists with interests in the sociology of the family, children, parenting, and the welfare state.

This book examines the religious lives of young adults growing up in inter-religious families in India. It explores complex questions of identity, social background, and religion in twenty-first-century India. The volume studies the religious commitments of young adults, analyses the identity formation process for a critical age group, and discusses the interpersonal dynamics within inter-religious families. Drawing on real life stories of mixed heritage - Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Jain, Buddhist, and Parsi - this volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of psychology, education, sociology and social anthropology, religious studies, politics, and other interdisciplinary studies.

Fatherhood is in transition and being challenged by often contradictory forces: societal mandates to be both an active father and provider, men's own wish to be more involved with their children, and the institutional arrangements in which fathers work and live. This book explores these phenomena in the context of cross-national policies and their relation to the daily childcare practices of fathers. It presents the current state of knowledge on father involvement with young children in six countries from different welfare state regimes with unique policies related to parenting in general and fathers in particular: Finland, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, the UK and the USA.

Examines how protective and risk factors associated with two distinct types of youth violence - exposure to and engagement in violence - are nested within four layers of the ecological framework Offers a bridge between the literature on exposure to violence and involvement in violence among youth Places prior and contemporary research within an ecological framework that addresses multiple factors related to protective and risk factors associated with exposure to and engagement in violence Links theory to evidence-based practice by demonstrating how applied and academic knowledge can be used in tandem to encourage translational science to improve neighborhoods and youth experiences within their communities, families, and with their peers while acknowledging the importance of individual characteristics

First book to show how the concept of a generation can be used to have an increased understanding of the welfare state. Develops a differentiated concept of generation, with a corresponding analytical toolkit, and to explore and explain some of the main challenges facing robust and advanced welfare states. Of interest to all scholars and students of social policy, sociology, law, political science, and psychology.

History lies beneath our feet and in the landscapes around us. In contrast to the history that comes from studying texts, archaeology is the study of history through objects, monuments, and other traces of past lives: history that extends beyond the earliest writings into the deep past, revealing the varied pathways that led to the present, and the challenges - often similar to those we face today - that confronted our ancestors. Ann Stahl argues that archaeology is unique in its focus on the everyday lives of all peoples in all places and times. From ancient temples to humble homes, archaeologists piece together worlds that would otherwise be lost: knowledge that shows us how routine actions have shaped societies, how and why societies have changed in light of environment, politics, and culture - and perhaps what the future holds for our societies too. Using compelling examples from a storied international career, Stahl provides the perfect summary of why archaeology is both a vitally important and enjoyable subject to study.

This comprehensive book covers the research, theory, policy and practice context of unusual reproduction using third parties. Olga Van den Akker details the psychological adaptation required to continuing changes in public opinion, advances in technologies and new legislations in surrogate motherhood and discusses their impact at an individual, societal and global level. She describes the competing interests and interactions between legal, organisational, personal, social, psychological and cultural issues in relation to biological and genetic surrogate and commissioning parenthood. This book is intended for professionals, practitioners, academics and students interested in the complexities of unusual reproduction using multidisciplinary perspectives.

-book explores the effects of the gradual liberalisation of capital markets and the expansion of consumer credit on poorer households in the UK, with particular attention to the precariousness caused by a lack of savings and a reliance on debt -the author draws on Michel Foucault's theory of subjectivation as well as Louis Althusser's interest in class, actively theorising the constraints of low income or precarious work on financial planning, alongside the reorganisation or rollback of government benefits - shows how finance stratifies individual subjects rather than simply individualising and separating them