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Full-Text Articles in Law
Stepparents As Third Parties In Relation To Their Stepchildren, Margaret Mahoney
Stepparents As Third Parties In Relation To Their Stepchildren, Margaret Mahoney
Articles
The "third parties" who inspired this symposium are categories of adults who form de facto family ties with children to whom they do not stand in the relationship of legal parent. In the eyes of the law, the status of parenthood is generally restricted to biological and adoptive parents. Within this frame of reference, stepparents constitute a major category of "third parties" who develop relationships with their stepchildren but are not regarded as legal parents.
In spite of the long history of stepfamily issues in the legal arena, and the increased demand for regulation in recent decades, little progress has …
Foster Care Safety And The Kinship Cue Of Attitude Similarity, David J. Herring
Foster Care Safety And The Kinship Cue Of Attitude Similarity, David J. Herring
Articles
This article brings behavioral biology research on attitude similarity as a kinship cue to bear on the laws, policies, and practices surrounding the placement of children in foster care. The basic logic of the article relies on the nature and power of kinship cues. Individuals perceive others as kin through fallible, often unconscious mechanisms. Because these mechanisms are fallible, individuals may come to believe that unrelated persons are kin.
Once a cue gives rise to the perception of kinship, the individual who acquires this perception about another person is more likely to treat that other person favorably, providing important benefits …