This edited collection of new writing brings together leading researchers in the field of home and domestic life from a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, criminology, psychology, social policy and anthropology. Chapters cover many issues including: * the changing images of home * historical and contemporary accepted notions of the ideal home* privacy in the home* the successes and failures of the modern home* sheltered housing accomodation* and the renegotiation of domestic labour.Ideal Homes? provides a fascinating analysis of a subject area largely ignored by social scientists and commentators. This collection reveals how both popular images and experiences of home life can produce vital clues as to how society's members produce and respond to social change.