Relationships Rights and Legal Pluralism: The Inadequacy of Marriage Laws in Europe

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Mateusz Stępień Anna Juzaszek

Relationships Rights and Legal Pluralism

The Inadequacy of Marriage Laws in Europe

Mateusz Stępień, Anna Juzaszek

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English

Routledge
26 December 2025

Religion: general; Sociology: family & relationships; Comparative law; International human rights law; Family law

This interdisciplinary book brings together leading social and legal scholars to tackle the incompatibility of marriage laws with contemporary social reality in Europe. Their critique is based on the assumption that individuals should be able to choose how they organise their close relationships. The contributors emphasise the importance of pluralism of beliefs, values, cultures, and lifestyles and the consequent need for legal recognition to make individuals' private choices valid and respected.

The first part of the book establishes the foundation for the subsequent chapters by exploring the advantages and challenges of focusing on values while accommodating relationship design plurality, the impact of the European Court of Human Rights on the issue, and the transformation of the institution of marriage. The second part presents different legal responses to non-state marriages, particularly religious marriages among Muslim communities, and proposals for reform. The third part of the book features empirical research on the marital experiences of two communities: Muslims and migrants. The chapters concentrate on polygyny among female converts to Islam, the importance of religious knowledge for practising Muslim women in securing rights in their marital relationships, transnational and interreligious marriages, and the impact of acculturative orientation and position in the dual labour market on the choice of life partner among Polish migrant women.

The book will be of interest to academics, researchers, and policymakers working in the areas of human rights law, family law, legal anthropology, law and religion, socio-legal studies, feminism and queer studies, and sociology of family.

Edited by: Mateusz Stępień, Anna Juzaszek
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781032747637
ISBN 10: 1032747633
Pages: 218
Publication Date: 26 December 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Mateusz Stępień is a professor in the Department of Sociology of Law, Jagiellonian University, Poland. Anna Juzaszek is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology of Law and Doctoral School in the Social Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Poland.