What can sociology tell us about our personal lives, families and intimate relationships? This book explains how key theoretical perspectives and relevant contemporary research in the discipline can shed new light on even the most familiar areas of our everyday worlds.
From friendships and pets, to political engagement and social legislation, the text shows how distinctions and connections can be drawn between our public and private lives. Each chapter explores a familiar topic that illustrates how individual relationships and lives can be shaped by social contexts, and how personal choices shape the wider social world. Using vivid case examples drawn from topical areas of debate, such as marriage rights and the role of social networking, the book is clearly laid out and easy to read. It gives useful explanations of theory and invaluable advice on how to carry out research on personal lives and relationships. This is essential reading for students of sociology interested in family, relationships and beyond.
New to this Edition:
- Pre-existing chapters have been fully re-written
- Includes a number of new chapters on topics such as the body, home and personal life in public spaces.
- Reformulated 'questions for discussion' at the end of each chapter.

Vanessa May and Petra Nordqvist are both based in the Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives at the University of Manchester, UK.

1.What is a 'Sociology of Personal Life'?
2.Conceputalising the personal
3.Couple relationships
4.Kinship: How being related matters in personal life
5.Friendship and personal life
6.Material cultures
7.Personal life across the life course
8.Consumer culture
9.The body in personal life
10. Home
11.Personal Life in Public Spaces
12.Sexuality and politics of personal life
13.Conclusion: Why a Sociology of Personal Life?