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The Marriage-Go-Round: The State Of Marriage And The Family In America Today (2009)

by Andrew J. Cherlin(Favorite Author)

3.67 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0307266893 (ISBN13: 9780307266897)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Knopf

review 1: This was a very interesting study on marriage in the U.S. historically and today. The author makes comparisons with European countries. Americans seem to hold two somewhat contradictory values very dear, often not realizing how they can conflict. One is the importance of marriage. The other is the importance of independence and self-fulfillment. As family and institutional supports for marriage have fallen away and people are more mobile, they tend to leave marriages if they feel personally unsatisfied in some way. But because marriage is such a high value, people seek new relationships much more quickly than in other countries. A significant problem is the upheaval children encounter. The research the author cites says stability is often more important in children... more's development than family makeup. Mormons are mentioned several times as being outliers, having fewer divorces. Being a Mormon I conjecture that our higher value on family togetherness + extensive preparation both boys/men and girls/women engage in on how to achieve family happiness while still allowing for individual development might account for that.
review 2: It's not a terribly exciting (as in whiz bang things happen) book, but it is interesting to see how Cherlin examines the contradictory cultural attitudes and the strange veneration (as compared to other Western countries) Americans have towards marriage. There's a lot of fascinating information that both contradicts and confirms a lot of perceptions about marriage and childbearing across different classes and races. It is tasty and sociological. less

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