A Cultural History of Marriage in the Age of Empires (The Cultural Histories Series)

This volume looks at how, during the age of empires (1800–1900), marriage was a key transition in the life course worldwide, a rite of passage everywhere with major cultural significance. While in some ways the institution of marriage became threatened – for instance through rising divorce rates in Western societies – in others it became more anchored than ever before. In Western Europe marriage was increasingly regarded as the only way to reach happiness and self-fulfillment, and romantic partner choice became a new ideal, but material interests remained nevertheless guiding principles in the selection of a partner for life. In the United States former slaves obtained the right to marry and to formalize existing bonds after the Civil War, leading to a convergence in marriage patterns between the black and white population. In Latin America, marriage was and remained less common than in other world regions – due to the prevalence of consensual unions – but marriage rates were nevertheless on the rise. A similar trend was observed in Australia and New Zealand. In African and Asian societies, European colonial powers tried to change the marriage customs of indigenous populations-for instance regarding polygamy and arranged marriages-but sooner or later they had to adapt themselves and their colonial administrations in order to avoid major resistance. In a world of turbulent political and economic change, marriage and the family remained safe havens, the linchpins of society that they had been for centuries.A Cultural History of Marriage in the Age of Empires presents an overview of the period with essays on Courtship and Ritual; Religion, State and Law; Kinship and Social Networks; the Family Economy; Love and Sex; the Breaking of Vows; and Representations of Marriage.ISBN : 9781350001893 This volume looks at how, during the age of empires (1800–1900), marriage was a key transition in the life course worldwide, a rite of passage everywhere with major cultural significance. While in some ways the institution of marriage became threatened – for instance through rising divorce rates in Western societies – in others it became more anchored than ever before. In Western Europe marriage was increasingly regarded as the only way to reach happiness and self-fulfillment, and romantic partner choice became a new ideal, but material interests remained nevertheless guiding principles in the selection of a partner for life. In the United States former slaves obtained the right to marry and to formalize existing bonds after the Civil War, leading to a convergence in marriage patterns between the black and white population. In Latin America, marriage was and remained less common than in other world regions – due to the prevalence of consensual unions – but marriage rates were nevertheless on the rise. A similar trend was observed in Australia and New Zealand. In African and Asian societies, European colonial powers tried to change the marriage customs of indigenous populations-for instance regarding polygamy and arranged marriages-but sooner or later they had to adapt themselves and their colonial administrations in order to avoid major resistance. In a world of turbulent political and economic change, marriage and the family remained safe havens, the linchpins of society that they had been for centuries. A Cultural History of Marriage in the Age of Empires presents an overview of the period with essays on Courtship and Ritual; Religion, State and Law; Kinship and Social Networks; the Family Economy; Love and Sex; the Breaking of Vows; and Representations of Marriage. This volume looks at how, during the age of empires (1800–1900), marriage was a key transition in the life course worldwide, a rite of passage everywhere with major cultural significance. While in some ways the institution of marriage became threatened – for instance through rising divorce rates in Western societies – in others it became more anchored than ever before. In Western Europe marriage was increasingly regarded as the only way to reach happiness and self-fulfillment, and romantic partner choice became a new ideal, but material interests remained nevertheless guiding principles in the selection of a partner for life. In the United States former slaves obtained the right to marry and to formalize existing bonds after the Civil War, leading to a convergence in marriage patterns between the black and white population. In Latin America, marriage was and remained less common than in other world regions – due to the prevalence of consensual unions – but marriage rates were nevertheless on the rise. A similar trend was observed in Australia and New Zealand. In African and Asian societies, European colonial powers tried to change the marriage customs of indigenous populations-for instance regarding polygamy and arranged marriages-but sooner or later they had to adapt themselves and their colonial administrations in order to avoid major resistance. In a world of turbulent political and economic change, marriage and the family remained safe havens, the linchpins of society that they had been for centuries. -- Provided by publisher Marriage in Europe became a central pillar of society during the medieval period. Theologians, lawyers, and secular and church leaders agreed on a unique outline of the institution and its legal framework, the essential features of which remained in force until the 1980s. The medieval Western European definition of marriage was unique: before the legal consequences of marriage came into being, the parties had to promise to engage in sexual union only with one partner and to remain in the marriage until one of the parties died. This requirement had profound implications for inheritance rules and for the organization of the family economy; it was explained and justified in a multitude of theological discussions and legal decisions across all faiths on the European continent. Normative texts, built on the foundations of the scriptures of several religious traditions, provided an impressive intellectual framework around marriage. In addition, developments in iconography, including sculpture and painting, projected the dominant model of marriage, while social, demographic and cultural changes encouraged its adoption.This volume traces the medieval discussion of marriage in practice, law, theology and iconography. It provides an examination of the wider political and economic context of marriage and offers an overview of the ebb and flow of society's ideas about how expressions of human sexuality fit within the confines of a clearly defined social structure and ideology. -- Provided by publisher Could an institution as sacred and traditional as marriage undergo a revolution? Some people living during the so-called Age of Enlightenment thought so. By marrying for that selfish, personal emotion of love rather than to serve religious or family interests, to serve political demands or the demands of the pocketbook, a few but growing number of people revolutionized matrimony around the end of the eighteenth century. Marriage went from being a sacred state, instituted by the Church and involving everyone to - for a few intrepid people - a secular contract, a deal struck between two individuals based entirely on their mutual love and affection.Few would claim today that love is not the cornerstone of modern marriage. The easiest argument in favor of any marriage today, no matter how star-crossed the individuals, is that the couple is deeply and hopelessly in love with one another. But that was not always so clear. Before the eighteenth century very few couples united simply because they shared a mutual attraction and affection for one another. Yet only a century later most people would come to believe that mutual love and even attraction were necessary for any marriage to succeed. A Cultural History of Marriage in the Age of Enlightenment explores the ways that new ideas, cultural ideals, and economic changes, big and small, reshaped matrimony into the institution that it is today, allowing love to become the ultimate essential ingredient for modern marriages. -- Provided by publisher During the age of empires (1800–1900), marriage was a key transition in the life course worldwide, a rite of passage everywhere with major cultural significance. This volume presents an overview of the period with essays on Courtship and Ritual; Religion, State and Law; Kinship and Social Networks; the Family Economy; Love and Sex; the Breaking of Vows; and Representations of Marriage.Using this framework, this volume explores global trends in marriage. In nineteenth-century Western Europe, marriage was increasingly regarded as the only way to reach happiness and self-fulfilment. In the United States former slaves obtained the right to marry, leading to a convergence in marriage patterns between the black and white populations. In Latin America, marriage remained less common, but marriage rates were nevertheless on the rise. In African and Asian societies, European colonial powers tried to change indigenous marriage customs like polygamy and arranged marriages, but had limited success. Across the globe, in a time of turbulent political and economic change, marriage and the family remained crucial institutions, the linchpins of society that they had been for centuries. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents List of Figures Contributors General Editor’s Preface Introduction 1. Courtship and Rites: A Survey of the World’s Family Systems 2. Religion: Between the Sacred and the Secular—Changes in Marital Life around the World 3. State and Law: Four Models for Regulating Marriage 4. The Ties That Bind: Family and Kinship in Europe and Asia 5. The Family Economy: Families, Work, and Marriage in the Western and Non-Western World 6. Love, Sex, and Sexuality: Balancing Economic Considerations,Sociocultural Expectations, and Personal Desires 7. Breaking Vows: Divorce in European and North American Literature of the Long Nineteenth Century 8. Representations of Marriage: The Intricate Development of Bourgeois Marriage in Western Europe Notes Bibliography Index