Description
Book SynopsisBased on two studies of marital quality in America 20 years apart, the authors argue that marriage is an adaptable institution, and in accommodating the changes that have occurred in society, it has become a less cohesive, yet less confining arrangement.
Trade ReviewAlone Together is an immensely useful book. It deals with an important topic by drawing on a unique data set, analyzing and interpreting the data in a very sophisticated fashion and presenting the results in clear, straightforward prose. The book is dense with useful and interesting information, and the authors have made a very important contribution. They are masters at what they do. -- Norval Glenn, The University of Texas at Austin
This is the best and most comprehensive examination available of how the institution of marriage in America has changed over the past few decades. -- David Popenoe * International Journal of Sociology of the Family *
One of the most comprehensive studies of marriage. -- Sue Shellenbarger * Wall Street Journal *
The authors find increasing separateness in aspects of marital life, along with maintained or even increased stability and commitment to the relationship. The details hold as much interest as the big picture...[A] landmark, authoritative, complex but readable study...This book offers a wealth of useful information to professional helpers, clergy, judges, policy makers, and general readers. A cornucopia of data and ideas, it is a boon to everyone who wants to know what is going on at home in America. -- E. James Lieberman * PsycCritiques *
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Alone Together] makes an important and timely contribution to the current debate about the meaning of marriage in American society...For teachers and researchers in marriage and family studies, this book is an extremely valuable resource. -- Susan D. Stewart * American Journal of Sociology *
Table of Contents* List of Figures * Acknowledgments * The Continuing Transformation of Marriage in America * Stability and Change in Marital Quality * Rising Individualism and Demographic Change * Who Benefited from the Rise of Dual-Earner Marriage-and Who Did Not? * Changing Gender Relations in Marriage * Social Integration, Religion, and Attitudes toward Lifelong Marriage * How Our Most Important Relationships Are Changing * Implications for Theory, Future Research, and Social Policy * Appendix 1: Study Methodology * Appendix 2: Tables * References * Index
