Families, Prisons and the State: Examining Justifications for State Support for Families and Family-like Relationships (with a case study concerning incarcerated parents and their children)

2008 Ford Scholars Project Description

Project Director:	Mary L. (Molly) Shanley
Department:	Political Science
Dates:	May 26 – July 18, 2008 (8 weeks)
Location:	Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Number of Students:	1

Description of the Project:

I propose a summer project studying the array of justifications that philosophers, political theorists, lawyers and courts have put forward to justify state support of families and family-like relationships. (By “family-like” relationships I mean relationships of mutual dependence and care that are not currently legally-recognized; these range from co-habiting heterosexual couples and their children to same-sex households to group homes.) While the primary focus of the summer’s work will be an exploration of the ways in which political, legal and social theorists have conceptualized the state’s relationship to, and responsibility for (or lack of responsibility for), families, I also wish to apply these theories to families of incarcerated men and women. The student and I will conduct research for a conference paper that I will give at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association in Boston over Labor Day weekend, and that I will submit for publication thereafter. The student and I will also develop a unit (either one or two class sessions) for my seminar, “Families, Public Policy, and Law,” and the student will help guide the discussion for one of those sessions. While the bulk of the work will involve library research, and reading and discussing political theory and policy concerning families, there is also the possibility of a voluntary internship working in the children’s visiting room of a local prison. This internship is not a sure thing, and is not a requirement for the summer’s work; it is simply a possibility worth mentioning as an indication of my interests.

There is some flexibility in the focus for the summer’s work, depending on the interests and skills of the Ford Scholar. A key aspect of the project will be to examine and discuss theories that try to establish grounds for the use of public resources in support of families. Among the justifications for such support are the state’s duty to compensate caregivers for the work of raising children (who are characterized as a public good); children’s right to develop their human capabilities; state recognition of family relationship as a mark of equal citizenship; adults’ rights to family relationships; and various international charters and treaties (including the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child). The student will first familiarize him or herself with these different perspectives through reading and discussion with me, and will then engage in a process of evaluating the various arguments and their implications for public policy. We will pay some attention to the very different attitude towards—and policies supporting—families in Western European countries compared to the US, and to the theoretical underpinnings of these policies.

The attentive reader will notice that this project does not include plans to study the arguments against government or public support of families. I will familiarize the student with those arguments, but given the short amount of time that we have I want to focus on the different kinds of considerations that political, legal and social theorists have put forward for support of families and family-like relationships.

Albeit that this project primarily involves studying and evaluating political and legal theory, I am also interested in the practical issue of how family life is affected by the incarceration of a parent. (Consideration of how family life is affected by the incarceration—or placement in a detention center—of a child is also important but not part of this summer’s project.) How much time we spend exploring the literature on incarcerated parents and their families will depend on the student’s interests and what I need to accomplish in order to write the paper I am committed to giving.

Anticipated Summer Activities:

The Ford Scholar will work with me in developing the focus and argument of a paper that I will write for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association to be held over Labor Day weekend, and in developing an instructional unit for my course “Families, Public Policy, and Law.” I anticipate a mixture of joint work sessions in the library gathering materials and organizing files of readings. Other sessions would involve time alone reading the materials we gathered. Still others would involve discussion, sometimes about the conference paper, other times about the focus of the class unit(s). The Ford Scholar should anticipate a fair amount of time spent working on her or his own, but with direction from me, as well as joint work sessions. The student’s time would be spent on campus, working in the library with both printed and web-based materials, and having discussions there and in the Retreat. Any internship would take the student off-campus a half-day each week.

Preferred Student Qualifications/Skills:

A Ford Scholar for this project should have a background in philosophy and/or political and social theory. Knowledge of specific theorists is less important than an ability to think conceptually (and a love of doing so). Course background in women’s studies or feminist theory; public policy analysis; ethics, philosophy or political theory; and legal studies will be helpful. While there is no single course that is a prerequisite for the project, the student must have familiarity with analyzing social and/or ethical issues. The student will also need library and internet research skills, and must be familiar with bibliographical research (or ready to acquire these skills before the summer through working with a Reference Librarian).

Possible Follow-up Teaching/Professional Activity for the Student:

I hope to take the Ford Scholar with me to a conference or lecture at which I would present the paper we write over the summer. This would enable the student to hear the fruits of our summer’s labor, and also to observe the way in which scholars exchange ideas in such forums. The Ford Scholar would be welcome to attend the APSA convention, but since those meetings are huge and overlap with the beginning of classes, I will look for a smaller scholarly gathering that we could attend together.

To help prepare the course unit, the Ford Scholar will do bibliographical work to find appropriate readings (and perhaps internet sites and films), help me select readings that work well together for class sessions, and formulate study questions for the material. The Ford Scholar will attend at least one of the class sessions of my seminar this fall and will take the lead in directing the discussion.