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EcumenyandLaw,vol.3(2015)
pp.25—41
ANetaGawkowska
UniversityofWarsaw,Poland
Children,CommonGood,andSociety
Keywords:child,commongood,society,rights,duties,dignity,person,socialre-
lations
AprominentAmericanphilosopheroflaw,MaryAnnGlendon,
noticedthefollowingcommonrulepresentinAmericansociety:“After
divorceitisnearlyalwaysthemotherwhoremainsprimarilyresponsi-
bleforthephysicalcareofthechildren;thefather’sstandardofliving
typicallyrises,whilethatofthemotherandchildrendeclinesinalltoo
manycasesbelowthepovertyline.”1Isupposethisruleworkssimilarly
inquiteanumberofothercountries.Divorcedmotherswithchildren
usuallybearadisproportionatelyheavierburdenmeasuredineconomic
termswhenitcomestothesituationofthebreakupofthefamily
,notto
mentionothertypesofburdenswhicharedifculttobemeasuredand
quiteindividuallyexperiencedbyparticularwomenandmen.However,
thisstatementdoesnotintendtopresentthechildasacauseofthebur-
den.Onthecontrary
,itaimsatshowinghowmotherswithchildrenare
oftendiscriminatedagainstinjuxtapositionwithmen—fathersofthese
children,andhowthispointstothefactthatthesocietyatlargedoes
notadequatelyvaluemotherhood,parenthood,andthegoodofthechild.
Itdoesnotvaluethepersonswellenough.Adisproportionateburden
putonthearmsofthemotherinsuchsadcasesofdivorceisaproofof
howdiscriminationagainstwomenisconnectedwiththediscrimination
againstchildren,andhowbothtypesofinjusticesfollowfromthecom-
monandsystemicmentalityoftreatingpersonsasdisengagedindividuals
1M.A.GleNdoN:“FeminismandtheFamily.”Commonwealth.February14,1997,
vol.124,Issue3:11—15,p.13.
