The question of what ‘marriage’ is, and what it is capable of becoming,
has increasingly become a hot topic across many countries. In Australia,
a key turning point occurred when the then Howard goverment amended the
Marriage Act to explicitly restrict marriage to the union of one legally
recognised man to one legally recognised woman (a fact that has
significant implications for those whose natally-assigned identity does
not accord with their actual identity, as well as ‘same-sex’ couples).
In response to this, and echoing successful (and unsuccessful) movements
in other countries, legislation is now being presented to both State and
Federal Parliaments seeking to allow same-sex (or ‘gay,’ in some popular
iterations) marriage to be legalised in Australia.
This restriction on, and petition for access to, marriage in Australia
highlights something of the polarised nature of debates over marriage in
this country. This plays out in many ways across a range of communities,
such as when political parties take positions on what marriage is or
ought to be – and on whether it is a matter of public morality or
individual conscience. In regards to those excluded from marriage, some
lobby governments for access to marriage, whilst others critique such
lobbying for failing to challenge the privileging of particular kinds of
relationships in regards to, for example, the racialised, classed,
sexed, sexualised and normalising effects of marriage. And of course
some (typically religious) groups lobby governments to maintain marriage
as a heterosexual, reproductive institution, the alleged cornerstone of
a stable society.
At the same time as these polarising debates go on, weddings and
marriages remain sites of intense affective and consumerist investment.
Pop culture continues to return to engagements, marriages and weddings,
often thereby revealing contemporary anxieties about sex, gender, love,
intimacy and relationships. The wedding industry has taken off, with
large sums of money spent in producing one ‘perfect day’. In the
cultural imaginary, marriage remains, at least ideally, a key step in
the imagined trajectory of an individual’s life.
This issue of /M/C Journal/ seeks to provide a forum for accessible but
critical discussions of the current imagining of marriage. Papers might
seek to provide an account of the current ‘marriage equality’ movement
in Australia or elsewhere, critical engagements with such movements,
discussion of the interplay between the institutional and personal
investments in concepts of marriage, discussion of marriage’s current
form as depicted in filmic, televisual or other texts, discussion of the
continuing affective investment in marriage, or any other critical
reading of marriage and the debates that surround it in Australia.
Prospective contributors should email an abstract of 100-250 words and a
brief biography to the issue editors. Abstracts should include the
article title and should describe your research question, approach, and
argument. Biographies should be about three sentences (maximum 75 words)
and should include your institutional affiliation and research
interests. Articles should be 3000 words (plus bibliography). All
articles will be refereed and must adhere to MLA style (6th edition).
Details
* Article deadline: 12 Oct. 2012**
* Release date: 12 Dec. 2012
* Editors: Jess Cadwallader and Damien Riggs
Please submit articles through the website:
http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal. Send any
enquiries to marriage@journal.media-culture.org.au
<mailto:marriage@journal.media-culture.org.au>.