Esther Muddiman is a postdoctoral researcher at WISERD. Her interests span sociology and education, with a particular focus on civic responsibility, intergenerational relationships and youth engagement. Sally Power is a professor in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University and Director of WISERD. Her research interests focus on the relationship between education, civil society and inequality.Chris Taylor is Academic Director of the Cardiff University Social Science Research Park. His interests include the geography of education, education policy, and the relationship between education and the lifecourse.

• Starting pointsThe paradoxical positioning of the family and civil societyThe challenges of researching the ‘private sphere’ of the familyThe uncertain business of raising citizensKeeping the faith? Secularisation, the family and civic engagementMothers, grandmothers and civic engagementFamily arguments: finding one’s voicePoliticising family food practicesThe upward transmission of civic ‘virtues’Reframing civil society and the family

"With its innovative approach, rich findings, and careful interpretations, this book makes a fresh and valuable contribution to our understanding of how family life connects to civil society." Voluntas