What Is Marriage For?: The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate Institution
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.E.J. Graff had a very personal reason for asking the question in this book’s title: she was married in 1991, but in a ceremony legitimized by neither church nor state. Graff and her dearly beloved, you see, are lesbians. But instead of being dominated by agenda, What Is Marriage For? is a playful and informative study of the institution of wedlock throughout history that will appeal to readers outside of its obvious constituency. Chapter by chapter, Graff looks at the legal, sociological, and anthropological assumptions about money, sex, procreation, tribal affiliation, and the pursuit of personal happiness that underlie the concept of matrimony in Western societies. Her eye for the odd historical footnote is especially striking: we learn, for example, that in ancient Rome, marriage vows were exchanged by the groom and his father-in-law, and that–the assertions of right-wing fundamentalists notwithstanding–families were actually far less stable in the premodern era (where as many as 50 percent of all French children lived with a stepparent) than they are today. Graff’s conclusion? The rules of engagement have fluctuated so wildly over the centuries that the term “traditional marriage” is something of an oxymoron; same-sex unions are but one of the many ways in which marriage has evolved to meet the changing social dynamics of the 20th century. –Patrizia DiLucchio
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
Fantastic and Fascinating, January 28, 2000
By Karina Montgomery “manyhats” (San Diego, CA United States) –
This review is from: What Is Marriage For? (Hardcover)
I picked up this book when I was having doubts about my friends’ upcoming nuptials – I had hoped it would give them something to think about before they made that major step. I examined it more closely and realized it was a much more interesting book than that! The author has throroughly researched the various reasons marriage has existed as an institution (in Western civilization) and presents a compelling case in favor of same sex marriage as well. I was already in favor of same sex marriage, but now I have ammunition! It’s lively, amazingly researched, and also full of facts you just don’t get in history class. A must-read for social history buffs, gay-rights advocates, or anyone who wonders about relationships today.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
Well done and extremely informative, May 11, 2005
By A. J. Luxton (Portland, OR) –
This review is from: What Is Marriage For?: The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate Institution (Paperback)
The historical overview Graff provides covers not only the institution of marriage itself, but also the wide spectrum of gender roles that have been standard in past Western culture. (For example, the idea that the wife should stay at home didn’t occur to anyone until Victorian times brought along industry and 14-hour factory jobs!) The author writes a fine history, quoting original sources and backing up her information, in a tone conversational and interesting enough for even a reader like myself, usually terrible at reading history books, to follow and enjoy. Her overview of polygamy is the only thing in this book that fails. The overview is brief, and the only examples given are the Mormons and the Oneida commune. I might opine that she neglected this area on purpose. Part of this book’s thrust (perhaps ten percent of the text is focused on it) is providing factual support for the idea that marriage between two people of any gender is simply the next natural consequence of the changes in our society and economy. The critics of this idea often use the negative media image of polygamy to their credit. I’m guessing that she glanced over it in order to keep this argument at bay — which is a pity, because the book could have been stronger with an actual refutation, citing historical and modern examples of polygamy in their societal context. But at least she is careful enough with her language that she does not tar all multi-person couples with the same brush. Aside from this qualm, I’m quite satisfied with the text as a whole, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a better understanding of marriage and gender roles throughout the ages in their economic and social context.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
Original, unique, informative, funny, and entertaining, August 4, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: What Is Marriage For? (Hardcover)
This book is a wonderful read. It talks about the history of marriage in a way that is incredibly engaging, and also grounded in careful historical research. There is no other book which presents the history of marriage in the US and Europe in this way; most such books are quite dry but not this one. The author uses the wide variety of functions of marriage over the years to craft a persuasive argument in favor of allowing marriage by same-gender couples. But the book is much more than that! It discusses religion, economics, law, and a host of other social phenomena as they have related to marriage over the centuries, in a format that is brilliantly organized and eminently readable. This book makes a great wedding present or birthday present. It is timely and important. Marriage is the subject of much public policy discussion these days, and this book gives readers an informed, nuanced perspective on the institution. It is especially strong in pointing out the ways that what many of us think of as “traditional marriage” has changed over the years. The author shows, in her entertaining way, that many of the things we take for granted as part of “traditional” marriage (like Love, for example), actually are rather recent additions to the elements of marriage. I highly recommend this book.
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