Date of Award
7-1-1997
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
First Advisor
Dr. Mary Ann Lamanna
Second Advisor
Dr. Mark Rousseau
Third Advisor
Dr. Deborah Smith Howell
Abstract
In an effort to determine how judges define "motherhood" a cluster criticism analysis was employed on twenty seven court opinions. These court opinions stemmed from custody cases between biological fathers and third parties. Results indicated three major themes emerging from the discourse. The themes labeled Lie/Deception and Rejected/Thwarted indicated that mothers are held accountable when they do not live up to the dominant cultural ideology of motherhood. The theme labeled Mother's Legal Status refers to the debate within law over the equality of men and women in the case of pregnancy.
Recommended Citation
Burbach, Mary A., "Motherhood Discourse in the Law: Biological Fathers and Third Party Cases" (1997). Student Work. 2264.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/2264
Comments
A Thesis Presented to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright Mary A. Burbach July, 1997