The Future of Marriage

“On April 3, 2008,” wrote Tey Meadow and Judith Stacey at The Immanent Frame, “state authorities raided a polygamous compound in Eldorado, Texas.... Six weeks later, on May 15, the California Supreme Court invalidated the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. The proximity of these two state interventions invites reflection on the rhetoric and politics of marital diversity in the United States.”

In response to these events, The Immanent Frame invited a diverse set of scholars to reflect on the complex place of the institution of marriage in American society. What are the history and implications of the government’s endorsement of particular family structures to the exclusion of others? How does the regulation of family and sexuality represent a potential entanglement between religious tradition and secular governance? And how might this inform current debates about gay marriage and polygamy?

Featuring insightful and informative essays from Stephanie Coontz, Jaye Cee Whitehead, Tey Meadow and Judith Stacey, Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, Melanie Heath and Jimmy Casas Klausen – with more to come – this ongoing discussion has pushed beyond popular debates surrounding these issues.

To read the full discussion about "The Future of Marriage," visit The Immanent Frame.