Historian Stephanie Coontz on the Myth of Traditional Marriage

Polls find growing ambivalence in young adults’ views towards marriage — even as society
continues to grant greater privileges and respect to married people. This comes as the right pushes for a return to “traditional marriage” — an idea which historian Stephanie Coontz says isn’t actually based in history, as expectations of marriage, monogamy, gender roles and even the title “Mrs.” have drastically changed over time and across cultures. We’ll talk with Coontz about how socioeconomic factors have shaped expectations and laws around gender roles, marriage and love and about her new book, “For Better and Worse: The Complicated Past and Challenging Future of Marriage.”

Guests:

• Stephanie Coontz, Director of Research and Public Education, Council on Contemporary Families; author,