Abstract
In the UK, protecting children from maltreatment is an administrative and juridical system with law as ultimate arbiter of whether a mother may retain care of her child. The primary legal principle is the child’s best interests. This article draws on Giorgio Agamben’s (1995) theory of ‘bare life’ to examine the identity and the political positioning of child welfare-involved mothers in contemporary Western child protection systems to complement the primary focus on their children. A fundamental underlying issue, namely the control of life and its significance for women involved with state bureaucratic administrative and legal child protective services, is examined along with its significance for the biopolitical identity of child welfare-involved mothers in child protective services.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.