This book draws upon innovative qualitative data sources to explore the significance of siblings throughout the life course, demonstrating why sociologists ought to pay attention to siblingship. Focussing on four themes central to the discipline of sociology – self, relationality, imagination and time – the book shows why siblings matter. Grounded in theories of relatedness but spanning theoretical work on generation, life course, emotion, sensory worlds, normativity and identity, Siblings and sociology explores the importance of siblings in everyday life and how they inform wider social processes: the relational construction of identity, the inculcation of capital, experiences of institutions like schools and the meanings of relatedness. Siblings tap into profound questions about who we are and who we can become. This book shows how the intrigue of siblingship renders them an important lens through which to think in new ways about familiar sociological ideas.

Katherine Davies is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Sheffield.

CHOICE 2023: Recommended

'Davies redefines the sociology of family life in the accessible and engaging Siblings and Sociology, shifting the focus from parent-child and couple dynamics to sibling relationships. Underpinned by original empirical material, Davies highlights how sibling bonds shape identity, relationality, imagination, and our experience of time. While theoretically sophisticated, it remains accessible and thought-provoking for both academics and general readers. This important work is set to become a key reference in family sociology, making a compelling case for the sociological significance of siblings.'
Jenny van Hooff, Reader in Sociology, Manchester Metropolitan University


'Siblings and Sociology provides a novel analysis of the importance of sibling relationships across the life course from a sociological perspective. Davies deftly considers the social construction of sibling relationships and how contextual factors including culture and disability may shape these unique relationships. Further, Davies uniquely identifies temporality as a uniting factor in sibling relationships, at both micro- (“being there” and shared histories) and macro-time scales (how sibling relationships ebb and flow across the life course). This book is a must read for anyone in the social sciences interested in understanding the nature and implications of sibling relationships.'

Professor Shawn D. Whiteman, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Utah State University