Personal life perspective (Smart)
Smart's concept that sociology should focus on personal relationships and the meanings people create in intimate life, rather than treating 'the family' as a fixed institution.
Real World
Carol Smart's research highlighted how many people today organise their lives around friendship networks and chosen family — as seen in the rise of 'found family' dynamics among LGBTQ+ communities where biological ties are replaced by meaningful chosen relationships.
Exam Focus
When evaluating Smart, contrast her 'personal life' concept directly with Parsons' fixed nuclear family model to show analytical range.
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