Abstract

In this final chapter the editors reflect on the innovative work produced in this collection. The sociology of the family illuminates how family life is negotiated and understood by individuals and in politics. There is evidence of liberalisation and the collection shows how the plurality of ways of doing and understanding family, are not necessarily indicative of processes of individualisation. This collection shows the enduring importance of situating sociological research on families and personal lives within specific historic and cultural contexts. This chapter discusses the editors’ experiences of engaging with theory and researching families in the context of this collection. There is a reflection on what has been learnt from history, and contemporary accounts of family life and consider how the innovative theoretical and methodologies can be useful in opening deeper more socially-just developments within the sociology of the family. As the editors reflect on what has been learnt through editing this collection, they discuss how it has shaped their view on future research. Finally, the editors discuss the implications of this volume for the future of sociological approaches to families and personal lives in the 21st Century.