I am a sociologist based in Manchester, UK, specialising in personal life and contemporary intimacies. My research explores the dynamics of couple relationships, love, commitment, infidelity, and break-ups across different stages of life. I’ve also examined the significance of friendships and the experiences of dating app users. My work challenges the tendency to overlook aspects of life deemed ordinary or unremarkable, advocating for a closer examination of relationships that might be viewed as predictable—such as long-term partnerships, friendships, and midlife intimacy.

I currently serve as a Reader in the Department of Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University, where I teach both undergraduate and postgraduate courses and supervise PhD students. Additionally, I co-direct the Contemporary Intimacies, Sexualities, and Genders (CISG) Research Group, an interdisciplinary network that investigates the evolving landscape of personal relationships and intimacies. More information about our work can be found here.

My current projects focus on midlife intimacy, relationship breakdown, and digital dating practices. I specialise in a variety of qualitative methods, including interviews, focus groups, and critical discourse analysis. I have published extensively on:

  • Couple relationships, love, sex, and commitment
  • Domestic and emotional labor
  • Relationship breakdown and infidelity
  • Friendship, including the complexities of difficult friendships
  • Dating apps and hook-up culture
  • Masculinities, with particular attention to men who use sex workers and male dating app users

Details

Dr Jenny van Hooff
Reader in Sociology
Manchester Metropolitan University
j.van-hooff@mmu.ac.uk