Family Secrets: law and understandings of openness in everyday relationships

Smart, Carol (2009) Family Secrets: law and understandings of openness in everyday relationships. Journal of Social Policy, 38 (4).

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Abstract

Uncovering old or historical family secrets has become an enjoyable pastime yet in contemporary families the keeping of secrets, especially those relating to reproduction and paternity, is seen increasingly as undesirable. This article explores these issues and the growing tendency for family law and policy to favour exposing genetic truths – seeing this form of scientific veracity as crucial to child welfare and equality. The article explores the changing contexts of family secrets (using data drawn from the Mass Observation Archive) and seeks to locate these secrets in their cultural and historical context. An argument against imposing a simple solution (in the form of genetic truth) onto complex relationships is pursued.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: 4. Qualitative Data Handling and Data Analysis > 4.23 Qualitative Approaches (other)
Depositing User: Realities user
Date Deposited: 05 Aug 2009 11:25
Last Modified: 14 Jul 2021 13:50
URI: https://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/id/eprint/785

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