The book aims to show that, in the 21st century, it is possible to live, love, form a family without sex, without children, without a shared home, without a partner, without a working husband, without a heterosexual orientation or without a biological sexual body.
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