Marriage and Values in Public Policy

Marriage is a controversial issue. It is widely discussed in policy terms, but in the UK, Australia and the US there is a clash of values between governments and diverse groups which strongly oppose or support marriage. In the meantime, fewer couples are marrying, while cohabitation and divorce rates are high. This book explores this disconnect by examining policy issues such as class divides, welfare dependency, religion, same-sex marriage, gender relations and romance.