Dr Jenny van Hooff

My profile

Biography

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 modules 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.

Academic and professional qualifications

Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Liverpool John Moores University HEA/SEDA recognised.

PhD, University of Manchester ESRC +3 funded

MA (Econ) Social Research Methods, University of Manchester

BA (Hons) History and Sociology, University of Manchester, First Class

Other academic service (administration and management)

Department Research Lead

Editorial Board Sociology 2022-25

Co-Lead of CISG (Contemporary intimacies, Sexualities & Genders) Research Group

External examiner roles

External Examiner, Sociology BA Programme, University of Lancaster 2023-27 

External Examiner, UCL Social Research Institute 2022-26  

Sociology BA Programme, University of Westminster, 2014 - 2018

Sociology BA Programme, University of Liverpool 2018 - 2022

Prizes and Awards

2018 Shortlisted for Sociological Review Award for Outstanding Scholarship

2016 Shortlisted for BSA SRO SAGE Prize for Innovation and/or Excellence

Membership of professional associations

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy        

Member of the British Sociological Association        

Member of the European Sociological association                                                                                                            

Interests and expertise

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

Teaching

Subject areas

Sociology

Supervision

Alicia Denby, ‘Singlehood and the City: An Investigation into the position of the Single in Urban Space’, LUDeC award,  Principal Supervisor.

Laura Machin, ‘What factors contribute to the ‘Justice Gap’ between the number of reports of sexual violence and the number of resultant convictions, within the criminal justice system of England and Wales?’  2nd Supervisor.

Jamie Crowther, ‘Kicking crime into touch: rugby as a site to explore masculinity, marginality and positive youth development of young people known to the Criminal Justice System’, 2nd Supervisor.

Sarah Perry, ‘How do we write sex better? A critical enquiry exploring how sexual activity is depicted in contemporary Anglophone literary fiction’, AHRC award,   2nd Supervisor

Research outputs

Journal Articles:

2024

Duncan, S., van Hooff, J., & Carter, J. (2024). Living Together Apart: Size and Significance of Co-Residency Following Relationship Breakdown in Contemporary Britain. Sociological Research Online0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13607804241246411

Denby, A., & van Hooff, J. (2024). ‘An emotional stalemate’: cold intimacies in heterosexual young people’s dating practices. Emotions and Society6(2), 171- 187  https://doi.org/10.1332/263169021X16740853641050   Editors Choice Open Access

Hall, M., & van Hooff, J. (2024). Otherland: accounts of ordinary childless/freeness on Mumsnet. Families, Relationships and Societies13(1), 140-156 https://doi.org/10.1332/204674321X16738753257034

2023

Newerla, A & van Hooff, J (2023) ‘Mobile Intimacies? Uncertainty, Ambiguity and Fluidity in the Intimate Practises of German and British Dating App Users’, Sexualities

https://doi.org/10.1177/13634607231168959 Open Access Gold

 2022

Lahad, K & van Hooff, J (2022) ‘Discourses of ‘toxic’ friendship: Rethinking the everyday realities of friendship’, Families, Relationships and Societieshttps://doi.org/10.1332/204674321X 16613283926068

2020

van Hooff, J (2020) ‘Swipe right? Tinder, commitment and commodification’ in Romantic Relationships in a Time of Cold Intimacies, edited by Julia Carter and Lorena Arocha, Palgrave ISBN 978-3-030-29256-0

van Hooff, J & Morris, S P (2020) ‘Sexual wellbeing and social class in Britain: an analysis of nationally representative survey data’, Sociological Research Online, https://doi.org/10.1177/1360780420925489

Hammond, N & van Hooff, J (2020) ‘“This Is Me, This Is What I Am, I Am a Man”: The Masculinities of Men Who Pay for Sex with Women’, The Journal of Sex Research, 57:5 650-663 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2019.1644485

2019    

Aeby, G & van Hooff, J (2019) ‘Who gets custody of the friends? Online narratives of dealing with changes in friendship networks following relationship breakdown’, Families, Relationships and Societies, 8 (3), pp. 411-426 https://doi.org/10.1332/204674318X15271464535444

Included in FRS ‘Highly Cited Collection’ https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/journals/highly-cited-collection

2017  

van Hooff, J. (2017) ‘An everyday affair: Deciphering the sociological significance of women’s attitudes towards infidelity’, The Sociological Review, 65(4), pp. 850-864.

Shortlisted for 2018 Sociological Review Award for Outstanding Scholarship

Themen, K, & van Hooff, J (2017). Kicking against tradition: women’s football, negotiating friendships and social spaces. Leisure Studies, 36(4), 542–552. 

2015  

van Hooff, J. (2015) ‘Desires, expectations and the sexual practices of married and cohabiting heterosexual women’, Sociological Research Online, 20 (4) 4

Shortlisted for 2016 BSA-SAGE Prize for Excellence and Innovation

2011  

van Hooff, J (2011) ‘Rationalising inequality: Heterosexual couples’ explanations and justifications for the continuing division of domestic labour along traditionally gendered lines’, Journal of Gender Studies, 20(1), 19-30.

Monographs:

2013    van Hooff, J (2013) Modern Couples? Continuity and change in heterosexual relationships, Routledge, ISBN 978-1-4094-3913-4.

Launched in paperback June 2018

Book Chapters:

2020   van Hooff, J (2020) ‘Swipe right? Tinder, commitment and commodification’ in Romantic Relationships in a Time of Cold Intimacies, edited by Julia Carter and Lorena Arocha, Palgrave ISBN 978-3-030-29256-0

Online Articles:

2017   van Hooff, J (2017) ‘Secrets and Lies: Couple Relationships and Infidelity’,The Sociological Review Blog. [invited contribution]

2014    van Hooff, J (2014) ‘Conscious Uncoupling: Reassessing Agency and Desire in Couple Relationships’ Discover Society, Issue 9. [invited contribution]

Press and media

Media appearances or involvement

I have provided expert commentary on relationships to a range of media outlets, including The Guardian, The Times, The Washington Post, Grazia, Slate, Stylist, Dazed, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio London.

You can read about my work on difficult friendships in The Guardian , The Times and Stylist.

You can listen to me discussing my research on infidelity on BBC Radio 4 ‘Thinking Allowed’.

I am available to give talks on various aspects of my research, get in touch at [email protected].