Hutton Honors College

Risky Business: Marriage in America

Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008 * 8-9:30 p.m. * Honors House, 324 N. Jordan Ave. * SIGN-UP REQUIRED

Can marriage in contemporary American society be described by the phrase, "High expectations, low results"? According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the United States marriage rate in 2005 was 7.5 per 1000 total population; the divorce rate, 3.6 per 1000. And while the United States is reported to have one of the highest divorce rates among Western countries, there have also been reports that the United States has one of the higher marriage rates.

What is the state of marriage in America and how did it get to be that way? What has been the connection between romance and marriage throughout American history? between money and marriage? between marriage and children? What are the expectations today? the realities? What should be the role of marriage in today’s American society? Join Kirsten Sword, professor of history and of gender studies, for a discussion of the history and state of marriage in America.

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