A Contradiction in Terms

This chapter analyzes the challenges of being a mother without primary custody of one's child and confirms whether there will be benefits to being a noncustodial mother. It explains what the growth of noncustodial motherhood generally signals about motherhood. It also reveals and gives voice to a highly stigmatized group of women who hold a seemingly contradictory identity in contemporary US culture. The chapter examines common trajectories leading to noncustodial status, the common experiences of noncustodial mothers, and concerns where lived experiences intersect with gendered social institutions. It explores the experiences of noncustodial mothers that provide a window into the complexities and contradictions of contemporary motherhood overall.