Marriage in America A Communitarian Perspective

by Whyte, Martin King; Waite, Linda J.; Doherty, William J.; Erickson, Martha F.; Schwartz, Dr. Pepper; Ryan, Kimberly D.; Carrere, Sybil; Gottman, John M.; Browning, Don; Aird, Enola G.; Steuerle, C Eugene; Scott, Elizabeth S.; Galston, William A.; Ellman,

• ISBN13: 9780742507715
• ISBN10: 0742507718
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-11-01
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

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. Visit our website for sample chapters!

Author Biography

Enola G. Aird is an activist mother and founder and director of the Motherhood Project of the Institute for American Values. Trained as a lawyer, she spent several years in corporate law practice. Don Browning is Alexander Campbell Professor of Religious Ethics and the Social Sciences at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago Sybill Carrere is a research scientist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington William J. Doherty is professor and director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota Ira Mark Ellman is professor of law and faculty fellow of the Center for the Study of Law, Science, and Technology at Arizona State University Martha F. Erickson is director of the Children Youth and Family Consortium at the University of Minnesota William A. Galston is professor in the School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland John M. Gottman is James Miffin Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle Milton C. Regan Jr. is professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center David Gray Ross has served as commissioner of the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, since 1994 Kimberly D. Ryan is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Washington Pepper Schwartz is professor of sociology at the University of Washington in Seattle Elizabeth S. Scott is University Professor at the University of Virginia School of Law Marilyn Ray Smith is currently chief legal counsel and associate deputy-commissioner at the Child Support Enforcement Division of the Massachusetts-Department of Revenue Katherine Shaw Spaht is Jules F. and Frances L. Landry Professor of Law at the Louisiana State University Law Center C. Eugene Steurerle is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and author of a weekly column, "Economic Perspective," for Tax Notes magazine Linda J. Waite is professor of sociology at the University of Chicago Martin King Whyte is professor of sociology at Harvard University.

Table of Contents

List of Boxes, Figures, and Tables	ix
Preface	xi
The State of Marriage in America	1	(10)
Martin King Whyte
Part One: Supporting Marriage as an Institution and Making Marriages Work
Cohabitation: A Communitarian Perspective	11	(20)
Linda J. Waite
On Responsible Fathering: An Overview, Conceptual Framework, and Recommendations for Policies and Programs	31	(22)
William J. Doherty
Martha F. Erickson
Peer Marriage	53	(12)
Pepper Schwartz
Building a Sound Marital House	65	(26)
Kimberly D. Ryan
Sybil Carrere
John M. Gottman
The Role of Psychotherapy in Promoting or Undermining Marriage: A Call for Reform	91	(12)
William J. Doherty
The Task of Religious Institutions in Strengthening Families	103	(18)
Don Browning
Turning the Hearts of Parents to Children: A Mother's Meditation on the Role of the Church	121	(16)
Enola G. Aird
A Comprehensive Approach to Removing Marriage Penalties	137	(24)
C. Eugene Steuerle
Part Two: Making Divorce a Less Popular Response to Martial Difficulties
Marriage as a Precommitment	161	(18)
Elizabeth S. Scott
The Law of Marriage and Divorce: Options for Reform	179	(10)
William A. Galston
The Misguided Movement to Revive Fault Divorce	189	(30)
Ira Mark Ellman
Morality, Fault, and Divorce Law	219	(16)
Milton C. Regan Jr.
Part Three: Reducing the Financial Harm to Children Produced by Divorce
The Family as Community: Implementing the ``Children-First'' Principle	235	(22)
Katherine Shaw Spaht
Reflection of Societal Change: How Government Strives to Guarantee Children the Support of Their Parents	257	(12)
David Gray Ross
Child Support Reform in Action: New Strategies and New Frontiers in Massachusetts	269	(24)
Marilyn Ray Smith
Part Four: Concluding Thoughts
When Theory Meets Practice: Communitarian Ethics and the Family	293	(8)
Don Browning
Index	301	(4)
About the Contributors	305