| Family, children and the state |
| Section A: What is a family? |
| · The normal ‘chaos’ of family law |
| · Historical development of the family as a cohesive unit |
| · The traditional family: the law of marriage |
| · The modern family: atypical families |
| Section B: Family breakdown |
| · Broken unions: a historical perspective on divorce |
| · Ending a marriage: the law of divorce |
| · Alternatives to divorce: mediation |
| · Financial matters: the consequences of divorce |
| Section C: Children and the law |
| · Legal concepts of childhood |
| · Children’s rights |
| · The welfare principle |
| · Parental responsibilities |
| Section D: State regulation of the family |
| · Regulating reproduction |
| · Children in need and access to services |
| · Child protection and the need for state intervention |
| · Adoption and the child as ‘gift’ |
Sequence:
Section A can be followed by section B or section C, but all should be completed before section D. |
Textbook:
Alison Diduck, Law’s Families (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004),
ISBN: 9780406967336 |
