Belonging and Belongings - (Sociology of Children and Families) by Laura Merla & Bérengère Nobels (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

Based on in-depth fieldwork with Belgian children aged 10 to 16, this book examines how children in shared physical custody define and negotiate their place within the household of each parent.

The authors analyse how family practices within and between each dwelling shape children's sense home, and the strategies and skills children develop to manage and position themselves in these different environments.

Challenging common stereotypes and giving voice to children in shared custody, the book provides valuable insights for practitioners and scholars to better understand and support children and their parents.

Review Quotes

"Belonging and Belongings provides an extraordinary portrayal of the experiences of children living in multiple households. It is especially laudable that the book takes a multimethodological explorative approach capturing the very words, images and connections of families while they are getting transformed by shared custody arrangements. Family scholars and professionals will find it extremely insightful." Laura Bernardi, University of Lausanne

"I LOVE this book. It is rich in ground-breaking insights and a must-read for anyone interested in the latest research on shared parenting. Children have a way of telling it like it is, and the authors have clearly heard them." Bruce M. Smyth, Australian National University

"Deeply insightful, this book captures the nuanced ways children adapt to life between two homes. It invites us to rethink stability and home through the lived experiences of children in shared physical custody arrangements and offers practical and emotional insights for families and practitioners." Jani Turunen, Södertörn University

"A thoroughly researched, sensitive account of children's lives in post-separation families, crucially taking children's points of view as the starting point. This is a ground-breaking sociological text." Virginia Morrow, University College London

"Shared custody has increased rapidly, yet we know little about how it actually works. In this path-breaking study, Merla and Nobels centre the lived experiences of the children involved, which, when combined with their thoughtful reflections, provide critical information for all those who care about the future of children living in diverse family forms." Daniel Meyer, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"This is a fascinating book on a neglected subject--about how children who live in multilocal families make themselves 'at home.'" Ida W. Winther, Aarhus University

About the Author

Laura Merla is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Families and Sexualities (CIRFASE) at the University of Louvain.

Bérengère Nobels is Scientific Collaborator at the University of Louvain.