by Mary Ann Mason (Author)

Combining historical and legal scholarship, this is an analysis of the history of child custody in the USA from colonial times to the present day. It draws on history to illuminate contemporary issues, offering a rich perspective on the historical relationship of children to their parents. The author draws on three periods of pivotal change in social attitudes and the law, connecting these transformations to the changing status of women and the increasing power of mothers. He describes how the present move away from maternal preference toward equal custodial rights has been promoted by feminists' struggle for equal political rights and a new theory of equal parenting adopted by social scientists. Includes a new preface by the author.

Back Jacket

'A first-rate book. Mason combines a lively style with sound scholarship as she traces the historic roots of contemporary child custody issues from colonial times to illuminate the cross currents of community values and the bitter legal controversies of the present. A timely, sophisticated contribution. Highly recommended to judges, family law attorneys, mediators, expert witnesses in custody disputes, and students entering the field.'-judith S. Wallerstein, author of Second Chances: Men, Women, and Children a Decade After Divorce

Author Biography

Mary Ann Mason is Associate Professor of Law and Social Welfare at the School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of The Equality Trap, coauthor of Why Kids Lie, and coeditor of Debating Children's Lives: Current Controversies on Children and Adolescents.

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