Marriage in America: A Communitarian Perspective

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Is marriage an endangered institution in America? Does America's high divorce rate represent a danger to the lives of American children? These are some of the questions explored in this path-breaking volume of essays. The contributors to Marriage in America, inspired by the philosophy of communitarianism, consider an extensive roster of innovative policies and practices that are intended to promote a more supportive atmosphere for American marriages. A wide range of viewpoints are represented, with essays by legal scholars, social scientists, public policy advocates, family activists, and government program administrators. The range of influences affecting marriages is similarly broad, with essays critically probing the role of law and the courts, religious institutions, family therapists, employers, and government programs in either supporting or undermining the institution of marriage in America. In this volume the debate over "family values" in America is removed from the polemics of partisan politics and replaced by thoughtful consideration of options for the future by some of America's best thinkers on family issues. Marriage in America is an essential text for all of those who care about the health of American families and children.

Contents:
1 Introduction: The State of Marriage in America
2 Supporting Marriage as an Institution and Making Marriages Work
3 Cohabitation: A Communitarian Perspective
4 On Responsible Fathering
5 Peer Marriage
6 Building a Sound Marital House
7 The Role of Psychotherapy in Promoting or Undermining Marriages
8 The Task of Religious Institutions in Strengthening Families
9 Turning the Hearts of Parents to Children: A Mother's Meditation on the Role of the Church
10 A Comprehensive Approach to Removing Marriage Penalties
11 Making Divorce a Less Popular Response to Marital Difficulties
12 Marriage as a Precommitment
13 The Law of Marriage and Divorce: Options for Reform
14 The Misguided Movement to Revive Fault Divorce
15 Morality, Fault, and Divorce Law
16 Reducing the Financial Harm to Children Produced by Divorce
17 The Family is "Community": Implementing the "Children First Principle"
18 Reflection on Societal Change: How Government Strives to Guarantee Children the Support of Their Parents
19 Child Support Reform in Action: New Strategies and New Frontiers in Massachusetts
20 Concluding Thoughts
21 When Theory Meets Practice: Communitarian Ethics and the Family