The process of becoming an adult in contemporary times is fragmented and
unequal, shaped by chance, choice and timing. Unfolding lives presents a
unique approach to understanding the changing face of youth transitions,
addressing the question of how gender identities are constituted in late
modern culture. The book follows individual lives over time, enabling
the reader to witness gender identities in the making and breathing new
life into static analytic models. At the heart of the book are vivid
in-depth accounts of four young lives, emblematic of broader
biographical trends. They reveal how inequalities and privileges are
made in new and unexpected ways, through practices such as falling in
love, coming out, acting out and religious conversion. A focus on
temporal processes and changing meanings captures what it feels like to
be young and shows the creative ways that young people navigate the
conflicting and changing demands of personal relationships, schooling,
work and play. Unfolding lives is also a demonstration of a
method-in-practice, describing how longitudinal material can be analysed
and animated to realise the relationship between personal and social
change. Written in an accessible style that breaks the conventional
academic mould, Unfolding lives is a compelling and provocative read.
The book will be an essential text for students and academics involved
in youth and gender studies as well as those interested in new
directions in qualitative research methods and writing.
