Introduction
Stephanie Coontz is a teacher of history and family studies in The Evergreen State College of Olympia in Washington and is Director of Research and Public Education for the Council on Contemporary Families. She has written several books such as Marriage, A History: From Obedience to Intimacy, or How Love Conquered Marriage, The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap, and a few others. This paper provides a reaction and analysis of her works.
Discussion
Coontz (2005) in her book has analyzed the concepts of modern in the marriage world and argues that modern marriages are in a crisis. Part of the reason is because of the changing roles of the institution of marriage and the reversal of roles when men in the olden eras went out to work while the woman looked after the house.
The author speaks of in her ambitious, multi-century trek through wedlock, that marriage has morphed into the highest expression of commitment in Western Europe and North America; and though assumptions no longer exist regarding which partner may say “I do” to work, childcare, or other shared responsibilities, a clear set of rules about saying “I don’t” to infidelity and irresponsibility, rings loud as church bells.
The author has extensively used quotations and research over the centuries, right from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the present century. Many cultures still frown on placing love at the center of marriage. In Africa, the Fulbe people of northern Cameroon do not see love as a legitimate emotion, especially within marriage. One observer reports that in conversations with their neighbors, Fulbe women “vehemently deny emotional attachment to a husband.” In many peasant and working-class communities, too much love between husband and wife is seen as disruptive because it encourages the couple to withdraw from the wider web of dependence that makes the society work.
What do you think about her argument and/or the issue? What are your experiences?
Answer: The author has presented a generalized approach to the institution of marriage and there is sufficient proof in her sources. I agree with her arguments that the concept of marriage has undergone a great change and the married woman is no longer chained to the home by old-fashioned concepts of taking care of the children or waiting for her husband to come from work. But it is wrong to assume that wives in the earlier generation were unhappy with their lot. My mother was a homemaker and stayed at home and brought us up and she enjoyed this work.
Who do you think Coontz’s audience is? Are you part of it? If not, how do you think her audience reacted?
Answer: The audience to her books seems to be mainly activists and women and children care specialists who have their own say about the state of women and children. The audience would also include certain policies and decision-makers who have a say in deciding the policies. The audience would also include wives and mothers who are looking at their role in keeping the house and who need to think about their future and what marriage means to them.
Do you think she allows you to check up on her research?
Answer: The author gives sufficient references and mentions several studies and reports that she and others have performed for the research part of her books. She has also testified in front of the ‘House Select Committee on Children’ and has appeared in several television shows and she also teaches in several good colleges. So it is a fact that her sources of information are clear.
Her claim on p. 427: “….correlations are not the same as causes.”. Analysis
Answer: There is some truth in these statements as a correlation has become a key factor in research but then again these comments and statements are presumed to be made by researchers who have taken up a certain sample size for study and while the study may be true for a certain percent of the subjects, it is not true for the general public. To prove or disprove these statements would require lots of effort and while it is wrong to agree with them, it is also wrong to disagree with them.
Conclusion
The paper has performed a preliminary analysis of the works of Coontz and attempted to identify the author’s audience and research methods she has used.
References
Coontz Stephanie. 2005. Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy, or How Love Conquered Marriage. Viking Adult publishers.
Coontz. 2008. Author Stephanie Coontz. Web.