Introduction

Abstract

In Chapter 1 we set out the aims of the book and situate the study of long-term couple relationships in both the rich vein of academic research on families and intimate relationships and the demographic, policy and socio-cultural contexts of contemporary Britain. We introduce our overarching conceptual framework of relating practices and map how it draws attention to everyday and lived experience, and extends understandings of how couple relationships work. Throughout, we outline how the mixed methods design of the Enduring Love? study, on which this book is based, generated rich quantitative and qualitative data about couple relationships and the way a practices approach shaped our analysis. Finally we present overviews of the subsequent chapters, illustrating how they are organised through the idea of everyday relationship practices.