Publication details
A Battle of Words in the Culture War: Lessons for Europe from the American Debate over the Redefinition of Marriage
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| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | What is marriage? This paper examines ongoing efforts in the United States to redefine marriage to legalize same-sex unions, and analyzes how the American debate is relevant to the European situation. The paper is divided into three sections. It begins with an overview of the issue and the historical development of the debate from legal and cultural perspectives. The paper then describes how the opposing sides frame the debate philosophically, and concludes with analysis about possible lessons from the American experience for Europeans. In the USA, the issue is being contested and decided at the local, state, and national levels mainly through court decisions, legislation, administrative acts, and referenda. To date there is no coherent federal-level recognition of marriage between same-sex partners, but a series of recent policy initiatives and Supreme Court rulings are building momentum for a national-level redefinition of marriage. Marketing and media representations are critical factors influencing public opinion on the issue. This paper seeks to explain the current controversies over marriage and family law not in terms of the practical political and lobbying campaigns that are influencing policymaking, but rather by exploring the intellectual disputes over the meaning of marriage itself. The main sources for this analysis are a number of books published by authors on both sides of the debate in recent years. Analysis of this American debate may help Europeans better understand the similar discussions and policy changes that are now being considered and made in their own countries and at the EU level. |