She Must Have Done Something

Abstract

This chapter emphasizes that noncustodial mothers, whether voluntarily or not, often experience some form of stigma in relation to their status as mothers without primary custody of their children. It explains stigma as a robust subject of sociological and psychological inquiry, in which sociological literature is replete with studies of mental health, sexual orientation, and teenage pregnancy. It also cites Bernice Pescosolido and Jack Martin's extensive review of the theoretical developments and widening scope of the application of the concept of stigma, such as to singlehood, gambling, and stripping. The chapter describes noncustodial mothers that experience a spoiled identity, a “blemish of individual character.” It investigates how spoiled identities operate, which in turn confer a whole host of additional negative traits to the stigmatized person while searching for a reason to explain the blemish.