Cheek by Jowl: A History of Neighbours

Almost everyone has a neighbour. Neighbours can enrich or ruin our lives. They fascinate and worry us equally. Soap operas watched by millions play with every lurid permutation of relationship in fictional neighbourhoods. One is even called Neighbours. * Petty disputes over gigantic Leylandii and noise nuisance turn nasty and fill newspaper columns. These stories have a rich history; as long as men have lived in shelters, they have had neighbours.* Cheek by Jowl deploys rich historical evidence to show how neighbour relations have changed over time. It maps the complex threads of association between neighbours – on emotional, sexual, social, practical and economic levels.* As people lived more densely together, and lifestyles diversified, the potential for neighbour nuisance and jealousy grew. In counterpoint to this, where communities of people emerged who shared an employer or an economic predicament, solidarity and mutual supportiveness could mitigate the hardships of life.