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382nd out of 580 books
—
753 voters
What Is Marriage For?: The Strange Social History of Our Most Intimate Institution
by
E.J. Graff
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...more
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...more
Paperback, 328 pages
Published
March 18th 2004
by Beacon Press
(first published March 18th 1999)
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A fascinating and frequently hilarious tour through the history of "traditional" marriage, or rather, why exactly the phrase "traditional marriage" is an utter oxymoron. Ms. Graff shows how at every advance in the freedom of marriage, from the people actually getting married having a say in the matter at all to interracial marriage, fundies have cried that civilization should surely end. Today women can turn down suitors even if their fathers like them. Today people with differently pigmented sk...more
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 relationship is a marriage or not. The book deals almost exclusively with western cultures, but Graff does explain that it is because the book's purpose is largely to argue for the legalization of gay marriage in the culture that has grown out of those traditions.
The only time I really got annoyed at the b...more
The only time I really got annoyed at the b...more
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This book was written by a gay-marriage advocate seeking a better understanding of what she is fighting for, but any thinking person, gay or straight, should be interested in the answer to her central question:
"Is marriage a worthy goal-- or a way of forcing people to squeeze their lives and dreams into too-small boxes? Is civil marriage, which locks private affections into an intimate relationship with the state, an institution I want to enter? Is marriage a patriarchal hangover, useful only to...more
"Is marriage a worthy goal-- or a way of forcing people to squeeze their lives and dreams into too-small boxes? Is civil marriage, which locks private affections into an intimate relationship with the state, an institution I want to enter? Is marriage a patriarchal hangover, useful only to...more
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 money, for procreation, and its current flavor: for love. The definition of marriage allows possibilities of divorce, contraception, feminism, and same-sex unions. The book ends with a call to pay rigorous attention to -- and believe in -- each individual spirit.
Graff lays out chapters on marriage to transfer property, preserve family connections, legitimize children, provide religious sancification, and even for love with lots of historical detail. I wish she'd mentioned marriage outside of the Western European model -- especially in Judaism, Islam, and the East.
I picked up this book for the history-of-marriage value rather than the same-sex-marriage value, and found the history and debated "reasons why people have historically married" to be slightly less helpful than I'd hoped. Still an interesting read, though.
As a side note, I now live in a place which allows same-sex marriage and also makes common-law marriage status relatively easy to attain and also allows a lot of the same benefits of marriage to people in same-sex or heterosexual relationships...more
As a side note, I now live in a place which allows same-sex marriage and also makes common-law marriage status relatively easy to attain and also allows a lot of the same benefits of marriage to people in same-sex or heterosexual relationships...more
Jun 05, 2013
Aubrey
marked it as to-read
Recommended by Dan Savage
This was a great historical and sociological look at why various groups in western culture have or have not believed in marriage, and whether or not those reasons are still valid today. It provides a very biased but encouraging argument that same-sex marriage should be legalized in the west based on the [interesting and humorous:] historical and present day evidence in the book.
Sep 12, 2008
Mell
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
history-activism
Traces the history of why people marry: for wealth, for political reasons, for love. Also examines the limitations of marriage: exclusion of GLBT marriage.
Not the best writing ever put to paper, but good backgrounder for unavoidable arguments, and for taunting gay-bashing street corner lunatics.
Fantastic book on some of the history of marriage and political change, and a damn good argument, overall, for gay marriage.
May 18, 2007
Christina Stenstrom
marked it as to-read
Recommended by Savage in The Commitment
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