Cultural-normative constructions of the family and children’s best interests in the lived experiences of shared custody arrangements in Belgium and Italy

Merla, Laura [UCL] Murru, Sarah [UCL] Nobels, Bérengère [UCL]

Based on in-depth, qualitative fieldwork with children aged between 10 and 16, and semi-structured interviews with at least one of their parents, this paper examines the role that local cultural-normative constructions of children, their best interests, and the roles of mothers and fathers in families, play in shaping the lived experiences of shared custody arrangements in Belgium and Italy. After presenting the main characteristics of the everyday organization of this mode of living in the two countries, we examine the specific role that Italian and Belgian children, mothers and fathers play in the coordination of this multi-local living arrangement. We observe in particular strong local differences, on the one hand, in children’s levels of autonomy and active participation in the management of the practicalities of moving between two homes and, on the other hand, in the roles that fathers and mothers respectively take in the organization of their children’s daily lives within, and across households. We then try to make sense of those differences by discussing how local cultural-normative constructions of children and families may shape these practices.