Freedom and Constraints in Family Dynamics: Exploring the Contractualization of Marriage Law and the Future of Child-Rearing Institutions

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K20098
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0105:Law and related fields
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Matsuda Kazuki 早稲田大学, 法学学術院, 助手 (10906861)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 法哲学 / 政治哲学 / フェミニズム / 同性婚 / 家族法 / 婚姻 / 親子 / クィア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Martha Fineman proposed abolishing legal marriage, which specially protects the relationship between independent adults, and reorganizing family law as an institution of dependency and care. This proposal has often been supported in Anglo-American and Japanese legal and political philosophy, but different views have been expressed by theorists regarding the contractualization of marriage and the substantive details of the care institution. This study analyzed and examined those different views by referring to contract law theories and theories on children's rights, thereby clarifying to some extent the normative theory to guide family law. In particular, it provided certain answers regarding the power imbalance in cohabitation and the principles for assigning caregivers.

Free Research Field

法哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本論文は、婚姻から親子まで、特に英米・日本における現代の家族法哲学の文献を包括的に検討することを通じて、私たちが自由に追求・形成する多様な家族を平等に尊重しつつ、多様な家族の中にいる弱者／子どもを遍く保護する法的仕組みの方向性を明らかにした。そうすることで、多様な関係／性の平等な尊重、ジェンダーや経済力に由来する格差の是正、全ての子どもの権利の平等な保障、依存とケアへの公的対処など、現代社会で重要な課題の解決に貢献する重要な知見を提供した。