The Family of the City, the Family of the Country

Abstract In this Article, we argue that the state supports different familial practices in urban and rural areas. Spatial laws and policies are affecting family members’ ability, availability, and commitment to care for one another based on their geographical location. We support the argument using a bottom-up approach that works with three case studies from three jurisdictions: China, Israel, and the United States to uncover and understand the phenomenon. In all these instances, state policies and laws effectively create gaps in familial practices between the city and the country. The analysis identifies and compares two categories of state involvement: differential treatment and spatially blind policies. Collectively, the case studies introduce to family law scholarship the rich, contextual phenomenon of state involvement in spatially shaping families.