Heteronormativity, intimate citizenship and the regulation of same-sex sexualities in Bulgaria

De-Centring Western Sexualities critically assesses the current state of knowledge about sexualities outside the framings of 'The West', by focusing on gender and sexuality within the context of Central and Eastern Europe. Providing rich case studies drawn from a range of "post-communist" countries, this interdisciplinary volume brings together the latest research on the formation of sexualities in Central and Eastern Europe, alongside analyses of the sexual and national identity politics of the region. Engaged with current debates within queer studies surrounding temporality and knowledge production, and inspired by post-colonial critique, the book problematises the Western hegemony that often characterises sexuality studies, and presents local theoretical insights better attuned to their geo-temporal realities. As such, it offers a cultural and social re-evaluation of everyday life experiences, and will be of interest to sociologists, queer studies scholars, geographers and anthropologists

Using biographical narrative and life story methods to research women's movements: FEMCIT

This paper discusses the use of the biographical narrative interpretative method (BNIM) in a research project that investigated the ways in which intimate life and intimate citizenship have changed in the wake of the cultural and political interventions of women's movements and other movements for gender and sexual equality and change. It outlines the research design of the study, which was the “Intimate Citizenship” work package of the FEMCIT research project, and describes how the biographical narrative interpretative method enabled the project's central research questions to be addressed

On meeting Linda: an intimate encounter with (not-)belonging in the current conjuncture

This paper begins with an ‘experience-near’ account of the author’s encounter with a woman she met whilst walking her dog in an east London park one winter afternoon. The woman was lying on the ground amongst the trees and, when approached, talked with the author about her feelings of isolation from family and community, about her alcoholism, suicidality and unsuccessful attempts to access help from the welfare state, and about the connections to animals and nature that kept her alive. The paper goes on to offer a psychoanalytically informed psychosocial commentary on this meeting and on the human relational vulnerability of which it speaks, exploring what we might learn about belonging and not belonging in the contemporary conjuncture, as welfare spending is cut, economic inequalities increase, and the ‘social investment state’ targets the ‘worthy’ welfare subject at the expense of people like Linda. The paper discusses the resonances between Linda’s life as glimpsed through this encounter and the author’s recent psychosocial research on intimacy and care under conditions of individualisation and detraditionalisation. Through this, the paper explores the practices of ethical relationality that are at the heart of the individual’s struggle to belong and through which social belonging is created

Why do people live apart together?

Interpretations of living apart together (LAT) have typically counter-posed 'new family form' versus 'continuist' perspectives. Recent surveys, however, construct LAT as a heterogeneous category that supports a 'qualified continuist' position – most people live apart as a response to practical circumstances or as a modern version of 'boy/girlfriend', although a minority represents something new in preferring to live apart more permanently. This article interrogates this conclusion by examining in depth why people live apart together, using a nationally representative survey from Britain and interview accounts from 2011. Our analysis shows that LAT as a category contains different sorts of relationship, with different needs and desires. While overall coupledom remains pivotal and cohabitation remains the goal for most, LAT allows people flexibility and room to manoeuvre in adapting couple intimacy to the demands of contemporary life. Hence, we suggest, LAT is both 'new' and a 'continuation'