A Population‐Based Study of Alcohol Use in Same‐Sex and Different‐Sex Unions

The present study advances research on union status and health by providing a first look at alcohol use differentials among different‐sex and same‐sex married and cohabiting individuals using nationally representative population‐based data (National Health Interview Surveys 1997–2011, N = 181,581). The results showed that both same‐sex and different‐sex married groups reported lower alcohol use than both same‐sex and different‐sex cohabiting groups. The results further revealed that same‐sex and different‐sex married individuals reported similar levels of alcohol use, whereas same‐sex and different‐sex cohabiting individuals reported similar levels of alcohol use. Drawing on marital advantage and minority stress approaches, the findings suggest that it is cohabitation status—not same‐sex status—that is associated with elevated alcohol rates.     

A Social Network Comparison of Low‐Income Black and White Newlywed Couples

Relative to White families, Black families have been described as relying on extended social networks to compensate for other social and economic disadvantages. The presence or absence of supportive social networks should be especially relevant to young couples entering marriage, but to date there has been little effort to describe the social networks of comparable Black and White newlyweds. The current study addressed this gap by drawing on interviews with 57 first‐married newlyweds from low‐income communities to compare the composition and structure of Black and White couples' duocentric social networks. The results indicated that low‐income Black couples entered marriage at a social disadvantage relative to White couples, with more family relationships but fewer positive relationships and fewer sources of emotional support (for wives), fewer connections to married individuals, and fewer shared relationships between spouses. Black couples' relative social disadvantages persisted even when various economic and demographic variables were controlled.     

The Decoupling of Marriage and Parenthood? Trends in the Timing of Marital First Births, 1945–2002

Family formation changed dramatically over the 20th century in the United States. The impact of these changes on childbearing has primarily been studied in terms of nonmarital fertility. However, changes in family formation behavior also have implications for fertility within marriage. The authors used data from 10 fertility surveys to describe changes in the timing of marital childbearing from the 1940s through the 21st century for non‐Hispanic White and non‐Hispanic Black women. Based on harmonized data from the Integrated Fertility Survey Series, the results suggest increasing divergence in fertility timing for White women. A growing proportion of marriages begin with a premarital conception; at the same time, an increasing proportion of White women are postponing fertility within marriage. For Black women, marital fertility is increasingly postponed beyond the early years of marriage. Evaluating the sequencing of marriage and parenthood over time is critical to understanding the changing meaning of marriage.     

“Behind Every Great Man…”: The Male Marriage Wage Premium Examined Qualitatively

Studies across diverse national contexts reliably show that married men earn more than unmarried men, but the mechanisms responsible for this are still disputed. This article explores the male marriage wage premium from a new perspective, using longitudinal qualitative data from Russia (N = 94). Qualitative research is particularly suited to identifying underlying processes and, by analyzing men's accounts of the influence of their marital trajectories on their work, the authors were able to reexamine existing hypotheses and develop new ones. They propose 4 mechanisms that they hypothesize can influence men's work motivation and performance: premarital planning, 2 distinct “breadwinner” effects using expectancy and self determination theory, and monitoring by wives. They integrate these mechanisms within gender theory, arguing that the treatment aspect of the male marriage wage premium is an outcome of the “coproduction” of masculinity within marriage. Their recontextualization of existing theory also enables them to reveal weaknesses in the specialization hypothesis.     

被修饰的梦境：明清通俗小说中的“入赘”

在明清通俗小说中,入赘是商贾融入异乡生活的一种有效手段,也代表了士人改换门庭的人生理想．但基于入赘所附着的种种社会属性,对于男性来说,它并不是一种令人愉悦的婚姻方式,不管是婚仪、改姓还是夺休,赘婿享受不到其他男性在婚姻中那种支配一切、掌控一切的快感,他们甚至都无法保持最基本的权利,不仅被人耻笑,而且可以招之即来．挥之即走。但小说作者往往会运用多种手法掩盖或是化解小说人物在入赘中所受到的屈辱和难堪,通过一系列手段的掩盖或是化解,小说作者在营造一个入赘的梦境的同时,也对这个梦境做了必要的修饰：入赘从损害男性自尊、让他们受尽歧视和冷遇,到变成一种男性可以从中寻找到足够的体面和尊严,至少看起来和其他的婚俗没有什么严重差异的婚姻方式。     

日本礼仪中“婚嫁”的忌讳语探究

婚嫁是日本礼仪中的重要一环。从社会语言学的视角具体探讨"结婚仪式"、"婚宴"等场合下的忌讳语,探究宗教信仰、言灵思想、心理联想、同音因素和交际需要等方面对其产生和存在的影响,能够发掘隐藏于忌讳语后的日本社会文化现象,把握日本民族心理,促进跨文化交际的顺利进行。     

“根”文化背景下的人性呼唤——以小说《春去春来》为例

文化作为一个民族或者一个团体的生活方式,应该有共同遵守的价值标准。在中国,道德根文化影响着民族的生活方式。路一凡生活在特定的环境中,受到道德根文化的熏染,具有君子之德。他性格的形成具有两方面的原因:周围智者的教化,秀美山水的滋养。由此造就了他肉身欲求与精神欲求和谐一体的美,锤炼了他的文化自信。     

当代青年的婚姻家庭与价值取向

随着改革开放的深入、网络时代的来临、社会的转型和多元文化的交融,当代青年无论是婚恋观还是生育观都呈现出多元化的倾向。选取＂80后＂和＂90后＂的在校大学生为样本,从大学生的恋爱观、婚姻观、生育观三个方面对当代大学生的婚恋观现状进行调查与分析后认为,引导青年人树立正确的婚恋观,必须充分发挥家庭、高校和社会的作用。帮助其树立正确的婚恋观不仅有利于他们未来的发展,也有利于整个社会的和谐与进步。     

Marriage (In)equality: The Perspectives of Adolescents and Emerging Adults With Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Parents

The debate over whether same‐sex couples should be allowed to enter into civil marriages continues in the United States. Forty‐nine adolescents and emerging adults (ages 14–29) with lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents were interviewed for the current exploratory study, which examined how individuals perceived themselves and their families as being affected by marriage (in)equality, as well as the factors that shaped their perspectives. More than two thirds of participants voiced unequivocal support for marriage equality, citing numerous legal and symbolic benefits that their families were denied. One quarter of participants articulated critical perspectives of marriage or the fight for marriage equality, while also acknowledging the benefits associated with marriage. As the first study to examine the perspectives of individuals with lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents with regard to marriage (in)equality, this research has important implications for the marriage equality debate and provides a springboard for future studies on this topic.     

Premarital Cohabitation and Marital Dissolution: An Examination of Recent Marriages

An ongoing question remains for family researchers: Why does a positive association between cohabitation and marital dissolution exist when one of the primary reasons to cohabit is to test relationship compatibility? Drawing on recently collected data from the 2006–2008 National Survey of Family Growth, the authors examined whether premarital cohabitation experiences were associated with marital instability among a recent contemporary (married since 1996) marriage cohort of men (N = 1,483) and women (N = 2,003). They found that a dichotomous indicator of premarital cohabitation was in fact not associated with marital instability among women and men. Furthermore, among cohabitors, marital commitment prior to cohabitation (engagement or definite plans for marriage) was tied to lower hazards of marital instability among women, but not men. This research contributes to our understanding of cohabitation, marital instability, and broader family change.