Cover; Contents; Acknowledgments; Preface; Introduction: Marriage Promotion, Heterosexuality, and "Being American"; 1 Unite! Marriage and American Identity; 2 The Stakes of Gender and Heterosexuality; 3 Widening the Marriage Gap; 4 Teaching Marriage to Single Mothers and Inmates; 5 Marriage Recitals in High School; 6 Contesting Native American Marriage; Conclusion: The Power of the "M-Word"; Appendix A: Methods; Appendix B: Sample Characteristics: In-depth Interviews of Participants in Workshops for the General Population; Notes; Bibliography; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N
Summary
The meaning and significance of the institution of marriage has engendered angry and boisterous battles across the United States. In this timely and extensive study of marriage politics, Melanie Heath uncovers broad cultural anxieties that fuel on-the-ground practices to reinforce a boundary of heterosexual marriage, questioning why marriage has become an issue of pervasive national preoccupation and anxiety. From marriage workshops for the general public to relationship classes for welfare recipients to marriage education in high school classrooms, One Marriage Under God explores the impact o
