Still a Mother

Abstract

This chapter delves into how mothers understand the larger terrain of gender at work in their custody experiences. It addresses what role gender plays in a mother's path to becoming a noncustodial mother and explains how gender shapes their experiences of noncustodial motherhood. It also builds on the analysis of the meanings of motherhood in the context of the social stigma attached to the noncustodial mother status by taking a broader and deeper look at the range of understandings of motherhood held by the noncustodial mothers who were interviewed or who participated in online support communities. The chapter highlights noncustodial mothers on the gendered nature of their experiences, reflecting on how gender should matter in determining child custody. It points out how noncustodial mothers as a group have varied and complex understanding of gender and motherhood.