What is a Family?: Law and Regulation in a Transdisciplinary Context

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Martha Albertson Fineman (Emory University) Alan Brown (The University of Glasgow)

What is a Family?

Name: What is a Family?
Price: 61.95 AUD
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ISBN: 9781529246346

Law and Regulation in a Transdisciplinary Context

Martha Albertson Fineman (Emory University), Alan Brown (The University of Glasgow), Noam Peleg (The University of New South Wales) , Jens M Scherpe (Aalborg University)

$61.95

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English

Bristol University Press
16 April 2026

Sociology: family & relationships; Law & society; Family law

Series: Law, Society, Policy

Available open access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

How families are formed, lived and understood has shifted dramatically-yet legal frameworks often still reflect outdated norms. This collection brings together a diverse team of international contributors to explore what a family is through a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including law, psychology, economics, family science and history, inviting transdisciplinary reflections on family regulation.

By examining how legal systems respond to, resist, or incorporate diverse family forms, from non-marital partnerships to trans families, the book reveals the tensions between lived realities and legal recognition. Offering fresh insight into how regulation shapes and is shaped by evolving family life, this book is essential for scholars interested in family law, social policy and the changing dynamics of kinship.

Contributions by: Martha Albertson Fineman (Emory University), Alan Brown (The University of Glasgow), Noam Peleg (The University of New South Wales), Jens M Scherpe (Aalborg University), Mary Jo Maynes (University of Minnesota)
Imprint: Bristol University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781529246346
ISBN 10: 1529246342
Series: Law, Society, Policy
Pages: 294
Publication Date: 16 April 2026
Audience: College/higher education , General/trade , Further / Higher Education , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Alice Margaria is an Assistant Professor in Law and Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Program Human Reproduction Reloaded at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Claire Fenton-Glynn is a Professor of Law at the University of Monash, Australia.

Reviews for What is a Family?: Law and Regulation in a Transdisciplinary Context

""A hugely informative and authoritative exploration of the interplay between family law and family life that foregrounds real families. Brilliant!"" Professor Susan Golombok, University of Cambridge ""This remarkable interdisciplinary volume is a must-read for any academic or policymaker trying to adapt family law to today’s families."" Clare Huntington, Barbara Aronstein Black Professor of Law, Columbia Law School ""A thoughtful, compelling collection that rethinks what ‘family' means today, blending legal insight and interdisciplinary perspectives to help us see families anew."" Bruce M Smyth, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University