Suburban Affiliations

"Suburban Affiliations" presents the reader with a thorough and engaging study of the everyday civic and social relations that are observed in suburban localities, in this case in Dublin, Ireland. It provides insight into the ways in which suburbs develop and consolidate across time, with the authors' analysis presented against a backdrop of the extensive American and European literature on suburbs. Drawing on four case studies, the authors offer a wealth of sociological insights into the suburban experience, demonstrating how particular examples can be drawn upon to advance a general theory of suburban affiliations. They re-visit the mainly negative assessment that has been made of the suburban social fabric. The title, "Suburban Affiliations", underlies the book's main conclusions. Residents in suburban estates are not disaffiliated: they are in fact connected with the place where they live and with each other, in many different ways. The book maps the nature, quality and focus of these affiliations, paying particular attention to attachment to place, the prevalence of social support networks and levels of civic and social participation. As an empirically grounded, contemporary study of everyday suburban realities this book offers a wealth of timely and innovative insights of interest not only to social scientists but also to architects, planners, policy makers and the general public.