A History of Marriage From Same Sex Unions to Private Vows and Common Law, the Surprising Diversity of a Tradition

by Abbott, Elizabeth

• ISBN13: 9781609800888
• ISBN10: 1609800885
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-04-05
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press

Summary

What does the "tradition of marriage" really look like? In A History of Marriage, Elizabeth Abbott paints an often surprising picture of this most public, yet most intimate, institution. Ritual of romance, or social obligation? Eternal bliss, or cult of domesticity? Abbott reveals a complex tradition that includes same-sex unions, arranged marriages, dowries, self-marriages, and child brides. Marriagein all its loving, unloving, decadent, and impoverished manifestationsis revealed here through Abbott's infectious curiosity.

Author Biography

Born in Montreal in 1942, ELIZABETH ABBOTT is a writer, lecturer and historian whose interests range across women's issues, social justice, the humane treatment of animals, and the environment. She holds a doctorate from McGill University in 19th century history. With the 2010 publication of A History of Marriage, Abbott completed her trilogy about human relationships, which includes the previous titles A History of Celibacy and A History of Mistresses. Abbott is also the author of several books and articles on the culture and politics of Haiti. Sugar: A Bittersweet History, inspired by her Antiguan heritage, was short-listed for the 2009 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. Abbott has lived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and now resides in Toronto.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Marriage in History
Introduction: The Way We (Really) Were	p. 3
Husbands and Wives-Who Were They?	p. 10
Learning Marriage, Rites of Passage	p. 32
Weddings and the Married State	p. 47
Love and Sex in Marriage	p. 81
Marriage from within Four Walls	p. 125
Go Forth and Multiply: Children at the Heart of Marriage	p. 153
When Things Went Wrong	p. 197
Marriage in the Present and Future
Introduction: The Way We Think We Were and the Way We Think We Are	p. 237
Unmarried and Often Single	p. 246
A Gay Focus on the Nature of Marriage	p. 267
Children and Parenting in Modern Marriages	p. 290
For Richer or Poorer: Marriage and Money	p. 315
Marriage and Race	p. 330
Marriage Policies	p. 351
Issues at the Heart of the Marriage Debate	p. 381
Epilogue: Stop Sign	p. 400
Notes	p. 405
Select Bibliography	p. 427
Index	p. 439
Credits	p. 457
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