This book explores the significance of sister relationships in women's lives. It documents sistering experiences through narratives of growing up, caring for the family, leaving home, and becoming a mother. Girls and women describe their emotions, shifting power dynamics, and moments of transition in their relationships. Drawing parallels between sistering and caring, the book presents new material on a widespread yet invisible aspect of the social construction of femininity. It also contributes to sociological debates about transformations in intimate ties.

Sister stories are rare compared with images of celebrity sisters and 'sisterhood'. Based on 37 interviews, this fascinating book uncovers sisters' complex relationships. Readers will play 'mapping' games to guess where they figure in its patterns. Sisters talk passionately about how their closeness and distance affects the power-balance between them. Making parallels with friendship and caring, it explores formations of gender, identity and intimacy in family life. Sistering was nominated for the British Sociological Association's 2003 Philip Abrams Prize.

What are the politics of gender within education? How are the issues of gender being explored in diverse educational settings? Does gender still matter in education? This book draws together the work from an international array of authors working at the cutting edge of gender research in education. From policy issues affecting single mothers to the co-optation of 'Southern learning' into Northern contexts, this collection provides a compelling argument for renewed engagement with gender issues at both macro and micro political levels within the full range of educational contexts--from primary to higher education.