Marriage remains a personal goal for most Americans. The RCFC is interested in articles that provide multiple perspectives on marriage for the next issue. Marriage is the best social insurance against child poverty, it promotes and supports responsible and caring fatherhood, and is good for adult health and well-being. Marriage is good for the economy, employers, and taxpayers in that married people earn more, save more, accumulate greater wealth, and pay more taxes than do single adults. Alternatively, children can often benefit from divorce when their parents are constantly quarrelsome.
Different groups see different agendas for contemporary marriage.
For many feminists, marriage is a smokescreen for re-instituting patriarchy. For singles as well as gay and lesbian people, it raises concerns about discrimination. For conservatives, it stirs up fears of legitimization of same-sex unions. For many human services professionals and advocates, marriage evokes images of domestic violence and abuse. The Autumn 1998 RCFC Newsletter will focus on marriage and related issues.