Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Contents
- List of Authors
- The Child in the Intersections between Society, Family, Faith and Culture
- Born or Becoming: Children, Religion and Identity
- State Curriculum and Parents' Convictions under the European Convention on Human Rights
- Care Placements of Children Outside their Parental Home - Concerns of Culture
- Child Marriages and the Law - with Special Reference to Swedish Developments
- Circumcision of Young Boys: A Conflict between Parental and Child Rights. The Swedish Experience from a Medical Point of View
- The Body as Identity Marker. Circumcision of Boys Caught between Contrasting Views on the Best Interests of the Child
- Malta Process and Cross-Cultural Aspects in Family Disputes
- The Child as the “Sacrificial Lamb” to Society, Family, Religion and Culture. A Comment
- Annex
- Index
- Miscellaneous Endmatter
Child Marriages and the Law - with Special Reference to Swedish Developments
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 December 2017
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Contents
- List of Authors
- The Child in the Intersections between Society, Family, Faith and Culture
- Born or Becoming: Children, Religion and Identity
- State Curriculum and Parents' Convictions under the European Convention on Human Rights
- Care Placements of Children Outside their Parental Home - Concerns of Culture
- Child Marriages and the Law - with Special Reference to Swedish Developments
- Circumcision of Young Boys: A Conflict between Parental and Child Rights. The Swedish Experience from a Medical Point of View
- The Body as Identity Marker. Circumcision of Boys Caught between Contrasting Views on the Best Interests of the Child
- Malta Process and Cross-Cultural Aspects in Family Disputes
- The Child as the “Sacrificial Lamb” to Society, Family, Religion and Culture. A Comment
- Annex
- Index
- Miscellaneous Endmatter
Summary
INTRODUCTION
THE PROBLEM
Almost everyone will agree, regarding child marriage:
– that it is wrong,
– that it robs far too many children of their chance to a life of their own choice,
– that we need to protect children against it, and
– that society should be more active in trying to do something about it.
The difficulties arise when we start considering concrete measures. What should in fact be done, and how forcefully should we react? Is it enough to try to change long-term attitudes of some parents and relatives? Or must we change the law to make it quite clear to everyone that child marriages are never acceptable? But do we really mean “never”? What if a girl becomes pregnant and her religion prohibits her from giving birth without first getting married? Should there not be an exception for at least those cases?
What makes these questions particularly difficult is the fact that even if most of us agree that it is wrong for children to get married, there are many who believe that it is not necessarily so. The issue at stake is to a great extent a cultural phenomenon. It is a fact that in certain cultures child marriages are accepted, and even common. What conclusions should be drawn from that? Should we disregard those who have an “unacceptable” view from a majority standpoint? Or should we treat their view as equal to ours and refrain from intruding? Is it in fact discriminatory to interfere with “the view of other cultures”? Or should we act firmly based on majority values only? If we do, how do we show others the necessary respect? Or is there no need for that?
These questions touch on a legislative issue which is nowadays topical in Europe to a much greater extent than before: should the legislator take into consideration the fact that society is multicultural and that values are not as homogeneous as they used to be? Some say that “here we are all governed by the law of this country, no matter what we believe and what our values are, and the law should be the same for all of us”.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Child's Interests in ConflictThe Intersections between Society, Family, Faith and Culture, pp. 85 - 110Publisher: IntersentiaPrint publication year: 2016
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