Mothers, Young People and Chronic Illness

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• Contents: Introduction; Perspectives on young people, asthma and diabetes; Mothers and transitions to gendered independence; Responsibility versus autonomy - mothers’ conflict?; Gendered ways of managing chronic illness; Gendered dependencies and responsibilities?; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.

’The book highlights the importance of researching teenagers at a stage in the life course when gendered identities are thrown into sharp relief. This sensitive piece of research portrays mothers’ management of the chronic illness of their teenage sons and daughters. It is also much more than this, constituting grist to the mill in exploding that great illusion of our age: that autonomy is a realisable and unproblematic goal either for young men or for young women.’ Julia Brannen, Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, London ’...an innovative and valuable exploration of the collaborative management of young people’s chronic conditions. Clare William’s analyses of gender issues also takes account of generational issues: how mothers, and to a lesser extent fathers, negotiate with daughters and with sons to reach the best possible outcome.’ Professor Berry Mayall, Institute of Education, University of London, UK '...an informative, easy-to-read text...Any health professional working with young people who are managing chronic conditions will find the blend between psychological and sociological perspectives useful in fine-tuning insight into complex contexts that surround adaptation to chronic illness. The writer has done an extraordinarily important piece of work. I recommend it to anyone who intends to work in this often-unrecognised traumatic area.' Journal of Family Studies 'This book - providing a clearly structured and well-written analysis of a study into the management of chronic illness by teenagers and the concerns of those caring for them - contributes to the neglected area of sociological study of young people and illness and to the sociology of care...This interesting sociological study gives voice to teenagers and their parents and consequently raises questions about the teenage-child constructed by law and whether it is possible to develop a legal framework which is more sensitive to the lived experience of illness