What does it mean to think critically about politics at a time when inequality is increasing worldwide, when struggles for the recognition of difference are eclipsing struggles for social equality, and when we lack any credible vision of an alternative to the present order? Philosopher Nancy Fraser claims that the key is to overcome the false oppositions of "postsocialist" commonsense. Refuting the view that we must choose between "the politics of recognition" and the "politics of redistribution," Fraser argues for an (...) integrative approach that encompasses the best aspects of both. (shrink)

This article argues that fears about recognizing same-sex couples destroying marriage are irrational, and that same-sex couples deserve the same recognition and protection as that afforded to opposite-sex couples. The article surveys same-sex marriage and registered partnership laws in Europe, Canada, and various states of the United States including Hawaii, Alaska, Vermont, and Massachusetts. The article was published just as Massachusetts was about to begin performing its first same-sex marriages in 2004. As such, the article provides a useful historical overview (...) and reference for those writing about same-sex marriage in the United States and other countries. (shrink)