Marriage and Values in Public Policy

Conflicts in the UK, the US and Australia
1. Auflage 2017
ISBN: 978-1-138-81345-8
Verlag: CRC Press

Buch, Englisch, 222 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 430 g

Reihe: Routledge Studies in Governance and Public Policy

Marriage is a site of political conflict. It is a controversial issue in the UK, Australia and the US where there is a clash of values between neoliberal governments and diverse groups either strongly opposing or supporting marriage. In the meantime, fewer couples are marrying, while other family forms are more widely accepted. This book explores this disconnect by examining policy issues such as class divides, ethnicity, religion, same-sex marriage, gender relations and romantic expectations.

A top down approach explores different government policy responses to marriage. In all three countries, there are differences and similarities in how governments react to the changes in family formations, but values or ‘conceptions of the desirable’ play a significant role. Enhancing stability and commitment as well as personal responsibility are important for policymakers who aim to keep ‘the family’ intact and thereby lower the burden on the public purse. It is difficult for political actors to respond to conflicting and changing values surrounding the diversity in relationships or to translate them into policies. There is a strong case to be made for increased policy attention to adult relationships - and a much weaker case for marriage. Rich evidence is drawn from interviews with key stakeholders as well as politicians’ speeches, government departmental reports, stakeholders’ documents and responses to government policies, and media articles.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Undergraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

van Acker, Elizabeth

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Studien zu einzelnen Ländern und Gebieten
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik Sozialpolitik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: Neoliberalism, Values and Marriage Policies

Chapter 1: Transforming the Legal State of Marriage

Chapter 2: The Clash of Institutional Versus Individual Values

Chapter 3: Changing Gender Relations and Values in Marriage

Chapter 4: The Neglect of the Marriage Divide and Disadvantaged Cohorts

Chapter 5: Government Strategies to Strengthen Marriage

Chapter 6: The Contradictory Politics of Same-Sex Marriage

Conclusions: Can All Couples ‘Live Happily Ever After’ in Neoliberal Societies?

Appendix: Interview Questions

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Elizabeth Van Acker is Senior Lecturer in the School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University, Australia. Her research interests include government policies around marriage and relationships, gender representations and politics and industry policies.