title: Constructions, reconstructions and deconstructions of 'family' amongst people who live apart together (LATs).
abstract: This article explores how people who live apart from their partners in Britain describe and understand 'family'. It investigates whether, and how far, non-cohabiting partners, friends, 'blood' and legal ties are seen as 'family', and how practices of care and support, and feelings of closeness are related to these constructions. It suggests that people in LAT relationships creatively draw and re-draw the boundaries of family belonging in ways that involve emotionally subjective understandings of family life, and that also refer to normative constructions of what 'family' ought to be, as well as to practical recognitions of lived family 'realities'. This often involves handling uncertainties about what constitutes 'family'.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Studies, Birkbeck, University of London.
authors.forename: Mariya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stoilova
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Essex.
authors.forename: Sasha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roseneil
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Politics and Sociology Canterbury Christ Church University.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: Centre for Applied Social Research, University of Bradford.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.affiliation: NatCen Social Research.
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005190:Family; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Living apart together (LAT); family; friends; intimacy; personal life