The sub-title of this new book sets the scene: “How institutions and societies promote the alienation of children from their families”. In explaining their view of how this happens, Harman and Biringen also provide a very readable guide to what brings about alienation.
The book is based on a large scale survey of parents affected by alienation, conducted by one pschology professor who has her own eperience iof alienation and another who is an expert in parent-child relationships and attachment. Dr Harman has also delivered a TED talk on this topic.
The “Who Alienates” chapter is particularly useful in giving an understandable account of the various personality disorders and other factors which might be involved. This book also has useful discussion on parenting stereotypes and gender roles and gives support for equal parenting. The coverage of solutions in the last chapter relates mainly to how courts and other systems operate in North America, but the whole book provides a very readable account of parental alienation.
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