Child Marriage in the United Kingdom: Representation in policies and debate
Author
Tikkanen, Maiju Tellervo
Term
4. term
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-05-29
Pages
62
Abstract
Børneægteskab—ægteskab med mindreårige—er en menneskerettighedskrænkelse, der hænger sammen med fattigdom og ulighed. Det forekommer hyppigst i udviklingslande, men sker også i udviklede lande. I Europa omtales sager generelt som få og ofte i relation til bestemte religiøse eller etniske fællesskaber. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan børneægteskab gøres til et problem i Storbritannien, og om politik og offentlig debat afspejler princippet om barnets bedste. I løbet af de sidste to årtier har den britiske regering iværksat tiltag som lovgivning mod tvangsægteskab, oprettelsen af Forced Marriage Unit (der oplyser og hjælper ofre), og en politisk debat om at fastsætte en minimumsalder for ægteskab på 18 uden undtagelser. Studiet analyserer politiske dokumenter med Carol Bacchis What is the problem represented to be?-tilgang, som spørger, hvordan politikker definerer og konstruerer et problem, og undersøger den offentlige debat med Norman Faircloughs kritiske diskursanalyse, som ser på, hvordan sprog former sociale spørgsmål. Princippet om barnets bedste behandles via Susan Whites syn på, at love om børn bør anvendes universelt. På tværs af politik og debat går fire temaer igen: tvangsægteskab, seksuel lavalder, kultur og konsekvenser. Børneægteskab fremstilles ofte som en form for tvangsægteskab. Muligheden for, at 16- og 17-årige kan gifte sig med forældres samtykke, behandles som en undtagelse: I debatten forsvares den af nogle, men kritiseres også for at kunne misbruges til at presse ældre børn ind i ægteskab. Konsekvenserne fremhæves for at vise, hvordan barnets bedste kan tilsidesættes. Gennemgående beskrives problemet som koncentreret i visse etniske miljøer, hvor nogle børn opfattes som særligt udsatte. Derfor indrammes børneægteskab ikke som et flertalsproblem, men som et problem, der er tilstrækkeligt alvorligt til at kræve bredere samfunds- og regeringsindsats.
Child marriage—marriage involving minors—is a human rights violation linked to poverty and inequality. While it happens most often in developing countries, it also occurs in developed countries. In Europe, cases are generally few and are mostly discussed in relation to particular religious or ethnic communities. This thesis examines how child marriage is framed as a problem in the United Kingdom and whether policy and public debate reflect the best interests of the child. Over the past two decades, the UK government has introduced measures such as laws against forced marriage, the Forced Marriage Unit (which raises awareness and supports victims), and a political discussion about setting the minimum marriage age at 18 with no exceptions. The study analyzes policy documents using Carol Bacchi’s What is the problem represented to be? approach, which asks how policies define and construct a problem, and examines public debate with Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis, which looks at how language shapes social issues. The best-interests principle is considered through Susan White’s view that laws concerning children should apply universally. Across policies and debates, four themes recur: forced marriage, the age of consent, culture, and consequences. Child marriage is often represented as a form of forced marriage. The possibility for 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent is treated as an exception: in debates it is defended by some, but also criticized as open to misuse that can pressure older children to marry. The consequences of child marriage are highlighted to show how children’s best interests can be compromised. Throughout, the issue is portrayed as concentrated in certain ethnic communities, with some children seen as at particular risk. Consequently, child marriage is framed as not a majority problem but one significant enough to warrant wider societal and governmental action.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
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