We all experience parenthood, if not as parents, then by way of having been parented or, in the face of ubiquitous images of idyllic family life, in the longing to be parents or to be parented. Thus, parenthood is one of the most powerful social constructs. This collection of essays gives evidence of the fact that families have never been "real;" that family, like gender or race, is not primarily based on biological criteria, but, above all, has to be performed and is a result of narratives. The relationship between these narratives - their variations in Irish, English, German, Mexican, and Chilean literature or film - and their material confinement is at the core of the essays gathered in this book. (Series: Cultural Studies / Kulturwissenschaft / Estudios Culturales / Etudes Culturelles - Vol. 40)

This book explores changes in the relationship of families and the state, and the shifting borders of public and private responsibility in education, child care, and childrearing. Covers the trend toward attempts at socio-political control of private life.

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. Single parents face a triple bind of inadequate resources, employment, and policies, which in combination further complicate their lives. This book - multi-disciplinary and comparative in design - shows evidence from over 40 countries, along with detailed case studies of Sweden, Iceland, Scotland, and the UK. It covers aspects of well-being that include poverty, good quality jobs, the middle class, wealth, health, children’s development and performance in school, and reflects on social justice. Leading international scholars challenge our current understanding of what works and draw policy lessons on how to improve the well-being of single parents and their children.

Out of the Mainstream identifies those aspects of mental illness which can compromise parenting and affect children’s development, as well as the efforts of professionals to intervene effectively. With chapters from professionals working primarily with children or adults, in different agencies and in specialist teams or in the community, the book illustrates the ways in which the needs of mentally ill parents and their children can be understood. The book outlines different theoretical approaches which may be in use alongside each other, including: A systems theory approach to work with families and with agencies; The psychoanalytic understanding of mental illness and its impact on family relationships and organisations; An educational approach to supporting staff, children and parents; A psychiatric or bio-medical model of work Out of the Mainstream considers how the diverse groups of agencies, specialist teams and groups in the community can work together, even when many barriers may hinder the effective co- working between individuals and these various groups. It will be an invaluable resource for psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, health visitors, mental health nurses, teachers and voluntary sector agency staff.

The current book asserts that reality television serves a broader social purpose than simple entertainment. Instead, this type of programing can best be understood as a revealing exposition on contemporary politics, culture, and social issues. Reality television addresses many different social groups. The book primarily examines the social and political messages conveyed by reality television to its viewers. Focusing on the notion of consumer citizenship, the study analyzes the German television program Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Germany seeks a Superstar) as a reflection of contemporary social and political issues in Germany. Dissertation. (Series: Kulturwissenschaft / Cultural Studies / Estudios Culturales / Ã?Â?tudes Culturelles, Vol. 53) [Subject: Media Studies, Popular Culture, German Studies]

In twentieth-century Ireland the relationship between the personal past and narrative history has exerted a shaping force on the lives of individual writers and on the formation of literary communities. This study explores this important intersection of the personal and the political, and its aesthetic consequences, in individual poems and volumes by contemporary Irish women. Collins argues for the central importance of memory in the work of contemporary Irish women poets such as Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Eavan Boland and Medbh McGuckian, and for its significant role in their creative development and critical reception.