Friday, August 08, 2008

L'Chaim!

This is turning out to be a three-wedding summer. Weddings are interesting social rituals, and generally of the more joyous and festive occasions, so I'm ok with that.

I know one couple who, last summer, had a NINE-wedding summer so I consider myself lucky. I get to enjoy myself at some lovey-dovey festivities and then I have the majority of weekends to myself.

In honour of all that, I am reading Marriage: A History (except with this cover). Author Stephanie Coontz examines marriages from earliest recorded history to now, and pulls from anthropology and sociology (and history) to examine the state of marriage now (around the world) and how we got here.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

L'Chaim indeed! And I love the socio-anthro look to marriage. How did it become an institution? A sense of security? A business? What's the relation between a mate and a soulmate? And is common law our way of minimizing risk taking? I want to know!

Most of all, I'm so very happy for the couples who decided to get their feet wet and their hearts open. Bravo!