Life Stages books

This interdisciplinary edited collection will challenge the idea of the static family that can be 'broken', and instead think of family as always 'on the move', both conceptually and in practice. This dual approach to family is the unique contribution of the book, which offers new perspectives on the sociology and geography of the family, drawn together by the shared lens of family mobilities. As such it brings together insights from the diverse work of interdisciplinary academics working alone and collaboratively on different aspects of family lives and relationships. The central argument of the book is that the concept of family is always in motion: a disruption in one aspect of family relations, for example, the ending of the intimate relationship between parents, is part of the ongoing project of family. In addition, families are made through mobility and immobility in relation to people, communications, objects and ideas. Contributions from a range of academics across disciplines consider changes in family practices and the ways in which they are produced through motion.  This book seeks to understand families as always in motion; changing, adapting and re-routed. Integral to this discussion is the spatiality and temporality of family, that families are produced in different times and spaces. Families are also made through interactions with material things, including non-human living things and through the emotional ties and responses that determine their form and practices.

This volume focuses on the theme of Technology and Youth; advancements in communication and leisure technologies over the past decade have radically transformed the role of technology in the lives of youth. Around the globe, children and adolescents are often seen as being the first to embrace new technologies, such as new forms of social media. Having a cell phone, once regarded as an adult technology, has become a necessity within youth culture in many societies. Even video games, once limited to stand-alone computers, have become a venue for social gatherings of youth. The rapid pace of technological advancement has brought about profound changes in the very nature of childhood and adolescence.This volume of examines the role of technology in the lives of children and adolescents. Topics addressed include: cyberbullying, video games and aggressive behavior, online gaming and the development of social skills, sexuality, child pornography, virtual communities for children, social networking and peer relations, and other related issues.