What Is Marriage For?: The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate InstitutionIn 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. |
Contents
Introduction | xvii |
Money | 1 |
Exchanging It The Marriage Market | 4 |
Making It The Working Marriage | 11 |
Being It or Being Without It Slaves and Paupers | 16 |
Keeping It Aint Nobodys Business If I Say I Do | 21 |
Keeping It Whats His Is His and Whats Hers Is Whose? | 26 |
Ignoring It Cant Buy Me Love | 34 |
Will the Real Parent Please Stand Up Mother Father Other? | 105 |
Why Have Kids? | 113 |
Should Lesbians and Gay Men Be Parents? | 117 |
Kin | 145 |
Marrying Out Barricading the Tribe | 148 |
Marrying In Protecting the Family | 160 |
Marrying Early and Marrying Often Polygamy | 168 |
Marrying Everyone Utopians | 177 |
Sharing It So Who Needs Marriage? | 36 |
Sex | 53 |
Refraining 1 Christians Reject Marriage | 55 |
Reproducing Is It a Marriage Or Is It a Brothel? | 59 |
Refraining 2 The Protestants Rebel Against Celibacy | 64 |
Refreshing 1 Heart and Soul v Womb and Sperm | 69 |
Refreshing 2 Intimate to the Degree of Being Sacred | 82 |
Babies | 88 |
What Makes a Family? | 92 |
What Do We Do about Those Little Bastards? | 99 |
Order | 191 |
Inside Out or Outside In Who Says Youre Married? | 193 |
Living Together Is It Marriage Yet? | 209 |
Remember the Ladies Who Runs the Marriage? | 215 |
Heart | 227 |
Dissent Untying the Knot or When Can You Say I Dont? | 229 |
Consent Tying the Knot or Who Can Say I Do? | 241 |
Conclusion | 249 |
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What Is Marriage For?: The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate ... E.J. Graff Limited preview - 2016 |
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