The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier and Better Off Financially

by Linda Waite, Maggie Gallagher, Linda J. Waite

Book Overview

A groundbreaking look at marriage, one of the most basic and universal of all human institutions, which reveals the emotional, physical, economic, and sexual benefits that marriage brings to individuals and society as a whole. The Case for Marriage is a critically important intervention in the national debate about the future of family. Based on the authoritative research of family sociologist Linda J. Waite, journalist Maggie Gallagher, and a number...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767906322
• ISBN13: 9780767906326
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Amazing Book Documents That Marriage Is Good Medicine

Wow. This book can leave the reader speechless. It documents that, "Both married men and women live longer, healthier lives...When it comes to money, marriage makes both men and women better off...When it comes to sex and sexual satisfaction, once again husbands and wives are better off...marriage provides some protection from domestic violence, at least compared to women in cohabiting relationships..." (p. 170), and, "In fact, virtually every study of happiness that has ever been done has found that married men and women are happier than singles" (p. 168); the authors' address the antiquated and misinterpreted 1972 study done by Bernard claiming otherwise. This work is useful for anyone concerned about marriage: the person on the street, the young single, the counselor, the clergyman, the sociology prof, the individual considering divorce or the candidate for marriage. Despite a few quotations using offensive language, this work is ideal for all adults. It must be read slowly, because it is filled with facts, figures and statistics and you may want to do a lot of underlining (as I did). There were a couple of points that would have made the work better. For example, the authors constantly refer to a near 50% divorce rate in the U.S. Although true, it is important to point out that only 27% of FIRST marriages end in divorce. What brings the statistics up are the serial divorcers. Their chapter titled, "Why Marriage is in Trouble" is weak. It sights a few possible reasons for the rise in divorce, but not the main one: people are more messed up than they used to be. People are less social, have a less realistic understanding of what is normal and realistic (partly because they believe TV and Hollywood, but partly because of THEIR upbringing), and the social push toward "demanding" our rights rather than being cooperative and compromising. They did get it right, however, when they stressed that too many people think about "their happiness" and not about the misery divorce will bring to them and to their children. Let me share this one: "86 percent of unhappily married people who stick it out find that, five years later, their marriage are happier.... In fact, nearly three-fifths of those who said their marriage was unhappy in the late 80's and who stayed married....rated this same marriage as either "very happy" or "quite happy" when reinterviewed in the early 90's." We need to get the word out! I would label this an important book and highly recommend it. If you are involved in "people helping," this book is not luxury, but necessity.

Surprisingly Good

This book is an excellent work of sociology by a professor at the University of Chicago, strongly supporting the institution of marriage. It is not a political panegyric -- rather, it quotes studies and statistics in support of marriage. It should be read by everyone, but particularly by anyone questioning their own marriage, or marriage in general.

Why Marriage Matters

For quite a few years now research findings have demonstrated the truth that marriage has positive effects on those who partake of it. Indeed, so much research on this subject exists that about six years ago I wrote an article called "The Case for Marriage" in which I summarised the available data. In this new book the massive amount of data on the benefits of marriage is collected and brought up to date. What emerges is a comprehensive and intriguing look at the importance of marriage.The authors summarise the data from the social sciences in this fashion: "The evidence is in, at least for the ways in which marriage is practiced today: Both men and women gain a great deal from marriage. True, marriage does not affect men and women in exactly the same way. Both men and women live longer, healthier, and wealthier lives when married, but husbands typically get greater health benefits from marriage than do wives. On the other hand, while both men and women get bigger bank accounts and a higher standard of living in marriage, wives reap even greater financial benefits than do husbands. Overall, the portrait of marriage that emerges from two generations of increasingly sophisticated empirical research on actual husbands and wives is not one of gender bias, but gender balance: A good marriage enlarges and enriches the lives of both men and women."A few examples (of many) can be noted: Unmarried people (be they widowed, divorced or single) are far more likely to die from all causes of death, including cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke and pneumonia. Married men are only half as likely as bachelors, and about one-third as likely as divorced men to take their own lives. Married people consistently report less depression, less anxiety and lower levels of other types of psychological distress than unmarrieds (of whatever variety). Married couples are far less likely to slip into poverty than are single people.What about cohabitation? Isn't it the functional equivalent of marriage? The evidence clearly suggests not: "On average, cohabiting couples are less sexually faithful, lead less settled lives, are less likely to have children, are more likely to be violent, make less money, and are less happy - and less committed - than married couples."If marriage is so good for adults (let alone children), what public policy implications arise? The authors offer nine steps to rebuild a culture of marriage and to resist a culture of divorce. They include the creation of a tax and welfare policy that is pro-marriage, reform of no-fault divorce laws, restoration of the special legal status of marriage, and discouragement of unmarried pregnancy and childbearing.Such proposals will not go down well with libertarians, feminists and other detractors of marriage, but they will do much to protect our children, strengthen our societies, and improve adult lifestyles.For over three decades now the institution of marriage has come under sustained and severe attack. If the ev

Sex in the Suburbs?

Although we are watching "Sex in the City," we should be reading "The Case for Marriage." Based on sound social theory and overwhelming empirical evidence, Waite and Gallagher remind us that marriage is a vital social institution that needs our support to make us better off individually and collectively. The authors debunk many myths about marriage to reveal that married people report being happier overall and more satisfied with their sex lives. Married persons also earn more, are in better physical and mental health, and have more well-adjusted and successful children. Waite and Gallagher explain the how and why for these results by translating social science theories into layman's terms and weaving in illustrative anecdotes from research interviews. While 93% of Americans rank "having a happy marriage" as a priority, sadly, we are increasingly pessimistic about our chances of achieving that goal. Most of us are either scared by divorce statistics, lack healthy marriage role models, or don't fully understand the benefits of marriage, among other reasons. This fear also translates into an unfortunate self-fulfilling prophesy of failure. By entering into marriage fearing divorce, if we are even willing to make the leap, we do not make the investments required to produce successful marriages.To address the challenges for healthy and lasting marriages, the authors make specific recommendations to policymakers, religious leaders, researchers, and anyone touched by marriage as to how to build a more "marriage-friendly America." They are careful not to invoke any particular political or religious ideology. They simply examine the evidence to provide what they perceive to be the logical next steps. Perhaps readers will come up with additional suggestions.

It's not our fault. Who knew!

This book turns conventional wisdom on its head. It will be THE topic of conversation at dinner parties and in singles bars. Don't read it, and you risk spouting off out-of-date cynical info - and losing a lot of bets. No, women don't do better single than married. Yes, married men have more satisfying sex than single men -- and, more often. Yes, married women experience far less domestic violence than their single counterparts. It turns out the reason we're so stupid about marriage - and divorce like lemmings -- is that we've been operating on woefully inaccurate information. For 30 years, the experts have told us that marriage makes no difference. Or worse! -- that our kids will be "just fine" without it - that they do just as well in single-parent or remarried families. We've been told (in graduate school, no less!) that women are better off single than married. None of which is true! We should be outraged! We've been making our decisions based on a barge load of myth and misinformation. NO WONDER marriage is at an all time low and divorce is rampant. We've had a 50% divorce rate for 30 years - and it turns out it's not our fault. Who knew! "The Case for Marriage" sets the record straight. It turns out that marriage makes a huge difference in the health, wealth and wellbeing of men, women and children. And as for women and those "sex in the city" girls -- they'd be better off married on everything researchers can measure including less violence, more money, more successful kids, and more -- and more satisfying -- sex. Yep, sex is better for BOTH married men and married women than their single friends who are racing around looking for it.