How to Define Situated and Ever-Transforming Family Configurations? A New Materialist Approach

Autor(en)
Cornelia Schadler
Abstrakt

Within the past few decades, the configuration “family” has included diverse living arrangements, yet traditional definitions of family persist. Accordingly, family studies scholars have discussed research strategies and theoretical approaches to define the shifting boundaries of family. In this article I propose the approach of new materialism for a contemporary definition of family that focuses on situated processes and the complex interplay of material-discursive differentiation processes. This perspective enriches current debates on defining family by adding concepts of intracontextual posthuman practices and multilocal forms of agency to the discussion, thus allowing for a definition of family that helps make comprehensible today's ever-transforming configurations.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Soziologie
Journal
Journal of Family Theory & Review
Band
8
Seiten
503-514
Anzahl der Seiten
12
ISSN
1756-2570
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12167
Publikationsdatum
12-2016
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
504014 Gender Studies, 504011 Familienforschung
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Health(social science), Social Psychology, Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/3a0bf500-1a11-4766-8c56-cd3902c1f5db