Even good marriages can have some bad side effects, taking people away from other social connections.
References
1.
MichèleBarrettMaryMcIntosh.The Anti-Social Family (Verso, 1982). Analyzes the oppressive nature of marriage and the nuclear family and suggests that it cuts off ties to family and friends, especially for women.
2.
AndrewJ. Cherlin. “Should the Government Promote Marriage?” Contexts3 (Fall 2003): 22–29. Criticizes governmental marriage-promotion initiatives for their ineffectiveness and unresponsiveness to the realities of family life.
3.
KarenHansen.Not-So-Nuclear Families: Class, Gender, and Networks of Care (Rutgers University Press, 2005). Shows that although mothers and fathers believe in the importance of nuclear family independence, they end up relying on kin, neighbors, and friends for child care.
4.
RobertD. Putnam.Bowling Alone (Simon and Schuster, 2000). Over the last 25 years, Americans have become disconnected from family, friends, and social institutions, including the church, recreational clubs, and political parties.
5.
LindaWaiteMaggieGallagher.The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially (Doubleday, 2000). Argues that marriage protects both women and men, making them happier, healthier, and wealthier.
