In the face of a persistently high divorce rate, climbing rates of single-parenthood and unmarried cohabitation, and some skepticism about whether marriage might be an outdated institution, Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher have assembled a thoughtful and well-researched defense of marriage and its benefits.
Arguing that we face the prospect of a “post-marriage culture,” The Case for Marriage draws on a range of sociological research indicating the real and measurable long-term benefits of marriage. The authors dispute the so-called “marriage imbalance” contending men get more out of marriage than women. They isolate the core negative myths about marriage and systematically challenge them. One of the authors’ great insights is to show how marriage can mediate between the competing values of individualism vs. community. On this score and others, they conclude, marriage is truly a public institution and public concern, not just a private one.
