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What Is Marriage For?

Front Cover
10 Reviews
Beacon Press, 2004 - Family & Relationships - 303 pages
In the wake of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s historic Goodridge decision, a reissue of the bible of the same-sex marriage movement

Will same-sex couples destroy "traditional" marriage, soon to be followed by the collapse of all civilization? That charge has been leveled throughout history whenever the marriage rules change. But marriage, as E. J. Graff shows in this lively, fascinating tour through the history of marriage in the West, has always been a social battleground, its rules constantly shifting to fit each era and economy. The marriage debates have been especially tumultuous for the past hundred and fifty years—in ways that lead directly to today's debate over whether marriage could mean not just Boy + Girl = Babies, but also Girl + Girl = Love.

“Read this book if you want to understand the movement for same-sex marriage—and to counter those who argue against it.” —Mary Bonauto, lead counsel in Goodridge v. Mass. Dept. of Public Health

“E. J. Graff’s What Is Marriage For? is the place to start reading for anyone thinking about the words ‘lesbian,’ ‘gay,’ and ‘marriage’ in the same sentence. It’s engaging, it’s fun, and it puts the lie to those prophets of gloom and doom who think every push for greater equality—whether it be women’s suffrage, reproductive rights, or interracial marriage—signals the end of civilization.”—Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry

“An enlightening romp through the history of marriage in western Europe and the U.S.” —Cassandra West, Chicago Tribune

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Review: What Is Marriage For?: The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate Institution

User Review  - Deborah - Goodreads

The author begins by answering the question "what is marriage for" rather bluntly: Marriage is always about money. The rest of the book supports that thesis, and traces the shifts from marriage for ... Read full review

Review: What Is Marriage For?: The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate Institution

User Review  - Clare - Goodreads

This was a fascinating and informative read. Graff explores the way in which marriage has changed throughout history, particularly the different methods people have used to evaluate whether a ... Read full review

All 9 reviews »

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References from web pages

uuworld.org : ej graff asks what marriage is for
What Is Marriage For?: The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate Institution. By ej Graff. Beacon Press, 1999. (UUA Bookstore) ...
www.uuworld.org/ life/ articles/ 24266.shtml

LUNCHEON ADDRESS WHAT IS MARRIAGE FOR? ej Graff<a href="#1"></a>
address is based on her book entitled What is Marriage For: The Strange Social ... WHAT IS MARRIAGE FOR? 543. from journeyman to master until he had a wife, ...
www.nesl.edu/ lawrev/ vol38/ 3/ 7-Graff-PDF.pdf

What Is Marriage For?
What Is Marriage For?: The Strange Social History of our Most .... Read What Is Marriage For?, by ej Graff, then poll at least three people and to ...
www.beacon.org/ client/ pdfs/ 4135_dg.pdf

What is Marriage For? The Public Purposes of Marriage Law
A. What is Marriage For? 1. Every known human society has some form of marriage. In every. complex society governed by law, marriage exists as a public ...
www.marriagedebate.com/ pdf/ What%20is%20Marriage%20For.pdf

Books: Well Wed (The Boston Phoenix . 08-02-99)
In "What Is Marriage For?" EJ Graff embraces a notion that will push buttons on the left and the right: marriage is good for the individual, ...
weeklywire.com/ ww/ 08-02-99/ boston_books_1.html

What is Marriage For?
Find out what experts and ivillagers have to say about the ever-changing institution of marriage at ivillage.com
love.ivillage.com/ lnm/ 0,,189p,00.html

Liturgy of Dedication
What is marriage for today? I’ll spare you all the sentimental, health, and relational ... J. Graff, What Is Marriage For?, (Boston: Beacon Press, 1999) ...
www.ucdsm.org/ sermons/ 2003.9.14%20What%20Is%20Marriage%20For.htm

GLQ 7.4-09 Lewin
What Is Marriage For? The Strange Social History of Our ... What Is Marriage For? is in many ways a disingenuous title. ej Graff has ...
glq.dukejournals.org/ cgi/ reprint/ 7/ 4/ 655.pdf

Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism | Brandeis University
What Is Marriage For? brought a reasoned, historical perspective to ... ej Graff’s first book What Is Marriage For? The Strange Social History of Our Most ...
www.brandeis.edu/ investigate/ who/ graff.html

<Emphasis Type="Bold">Review Essay:</Emphasis> Marriage
What is Marriage For? The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate ... What is Marriage For?,. written by ej Graff, a journalist, passionately makes the ...
www.springerlink.com/ index/ T806165202606M24.pdf

About the author (2004)

E. J. Graff is a journalist and independent scholar whose work has appeared in theNew York Times, the Boston Globe, The Nation, The Village Voice, Out,and elsewhere. She is currently a visiting scholar at the Brandeis Women's Studies Research Center.

Bibliographic information

QR code for What Is Marriage For?
TitleWhat Is Marriage For?
AuthorE. J. Graff
PublisherBeacon Press, 2004
ISBN0807041351, 9780807041352
Length303 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Family & Relationships / Marriage
History / Social History
Social Science / Gay Studies
Social Science / Sociology / Marriage & Family
  
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