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

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 relations

Asexual 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 parenthood

Stay-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 empowerment

Homosexual 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