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“Real” Mothers for Abandoned Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

Katherine O'Donovan
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Abstract

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Drawing on the laws and practices of three countries—England, France, and Germany—this article examines the constructions of narratives of abandoned children. Although the three countries share the values of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, having ratified it, their laws and practices with regard to the child's identity rights have little in common. Explaining the different approaches to abandonment, the article argues that these are justified by stories about the birth giver as the “real” mother, stories that vary according to place and culture. This leads to different conceptions of the child's identity and of motherhood, to exclusions and stigma. Focusing on the justifications offered in each country for its laws and practices, the article analyzes discourses of nature (England), juridical constructs (France), and pragmatic concerns for the child's life (Germany). The article concludes that, given the myriad of family forms and of life experiences, it is not surprising to find that countries governed by a shared international convention give very different accounts of the meanings of identity and motherhood.

Type
Papers of General Interest
Information
Law & Society Review , Volume 36 , Issue 2: Special Issue on Nonbiological Parenting , 2002 , pp. 347 - 378
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 Law and Society Association.

Footnotes

I am grateful for the generosity of the Nuffield Foundation, which provided financial assistance for visits to France and Germany for this research. Charlotte Augst gave assistance with translations and advice on the part of this article that deals with Germany. The translations from French are my own.

The research on which this paper is based is funded by the Nuffield Trust.

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