Child custody and visitation disputes in Sweden and the United States : a study of love, justice, and knowledge / Diane M. Pranzo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pranzo, Diane M.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Custody of children--United States.

Custody of children.

Visitation rights (Domestic relations).

United States.

Visitation rights (Domestic relations)--United States.

Custody of children--Sweden.

Visitation rights (Domestic relations)--Sweden.

Sweden.

Physical Description:

vii, 183 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Lexington Books, [2013]

Summary:

What are the social and cultural features that most impact the interpretation of the legal standard best interest of the child? One method for answering this question is through a comparison of two societies, Sweden and the United States, both of which apply the same legal standard to similar contested custody and visitation cases. Diane M. Pranzo's Child Custody and Visitation Disputes in Sweden and the United States approaches love, justice, and knowledge as separate discourses. Love encompasses the interpretations of the actors whose claims arise from the emotions associated with care, concern, and relationships-namely parents, the children who are the subject of a case, and other family members. Justice encompasses the interpretations and claims that are made by judges, but its discourse includes the legal process and legal policies. Knowledge is encompassed by the concerns and claims of professionals and experts, including social science discussions of care, welfare, and psychology and the interpretations and descriptions given by the professionals and experts regarding the actors in the cases. This book, comparing two societies with a focus on the interaction between how these three discourses are deployed in the process of decision making in best interests of the child disputed custody cases, depicts features of decision making that would be unavailable to researchers studying custody disputes in only one society. Intended for an academic audience with interests in sociology of the family, sociology of law, and sociology of childhood, this book is accessible to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, especially those majoring in sociology, social work, or law and society. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction 1

2 Laws, Process, Parental Roles, and Continuity 15

3 Transferring Residence 29

4 Professionals and Experts in Sweden and the US 47

5 Cases of Alienation or Problems in the Parents' Relationship? 67

6 Parents' Narratives of Care 85

7 Violence and Abuse in the Parents' Relationship 101

8 Children's Opinions in the US and Sweden 117

9 Conclusion 133.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780739171349

0739171348

9780739171356

0739171356

OCLC:

823014082