Legalizing plural marriage : the next frontier in family law / Mark Goldfeder.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Goldfeder, Mark, author.

Series:

Brandeis series on gender, culture, religion & law

Brandeis series on gender, culture, religion, and law

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Polygamy--Law and legislation--United States.

Polygamy.

Polygamy--Law and legislation.

United States.

Physical Description:

xiv, 257 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Waltham, Massachusetts : Brandeis University Press, an imprint of University Press of New England, [2017]

Summary:

Offers a legal and historical context for reforming family law and legalizing plural marriage, Polygamous marriages are currently recognized in nearly fifty countries worldwide. Although polygamy is technically illegal in the United States, it is practiced by members of some religious communities and a growing number of other "poly" groups. In the radically changing and increasingly multicultural world in which we live, the time has come to define polygamous marriage and address its legal feasibilities. Although Mark Goldfeder does not argue the right or wrong of plural marriage, he maintains chat polygamy is the next step-after same-sex marriage-in the development of U.S. family law. Providing a road map to show how such legalization could be handled, he explores the legislative and administrative arguments that demonstrate that plural marriage is not as farfetched - or as far off-as we might think. Goldfeder argues not only that polygamy is in keeping with the legislative values and freedoms of the United States, but also that it would not be difficult to manage or administrate within our current legal system. His legal analysis is enriched throughout with examples of plural marriage in diverse cultural and historical contexts. Tackling the issue of polygamy in the United States cites from a legal perspective, this book will engage anyone interested in constitutional law, family law, or criminal law, along with sociologists and those who study gender and culture in modern times. Book jacket.

Contents:

Introduction: revisiting polygamy

What is marriage? : privileging function over form

Unbundling marriage

The realities of monogamy and the push for plural marriage

Children of plural marriages: a first empirical look

Legalizing plural marriage

Plural marriage, revisited.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-248) and index.

ISBN:

9781611688344

1611688345

9781611688351

1611688353

9781611688368

1611688361

OCLC:

905419542