Heterosexuals were the upstarts who turned marriage into a voluntary love relationship rather than a mandatory economic and political institution. Stephanie Coontz Read Quote
When you can’t change what’s bothering you, one typical response is to convince yourself that it doesn’t actually bother you. Stephanie Coontz Read Quote
One thing standing in the way of further progress for many men is the same obstacle that held women back for so long: overinvestment in their gender identity instead of their individual personhood. Stephanie Coontz Read Quote
Especially around Valentine’s Day, it’s easy to find advice about sustaining a successful marriage, with suggestions for ‘date nights’ and romantic dinners for two. But as we spend more and more of our lives outside marriage, it’s equally important to cultivate the skills of successful singlehood. Stephanie Coontz Read Quote
In my work as a historian and in my relationships as a friend, teacher, wife, and mother, I have come to think that the most useful way to understand the past and make it work for you is to look at the trade-offs and contradictions that, however deeply buried, can be uncovered in every memory, good or bad. Stephanie Coontz Read Quote
Feminism insists on women’s right to make choices – about whether to marry, whether to have children, whether to combine work and family or to focus on one over the other. It also urges men and women to share the joys and burdens of family life and calls on society to place a higher priority on supporting caregiving work. Stephanie Coontz Read Quote
The closer we get to achieving equality of opportunity between the sexes, the more clearly we can see that the next major obstacle to improving the well-being of most men and women is the growing socioeconomic inequality within each sex. Stephanie Coontz Read Quote
Educated parents find more time to spend with their children by reducing time dedicated to home-based activities that involve little interaction with children. Stephanie Coontz Read Quote
When we assume that ‘normal’ people need ‘time to heal,’ or discourage individuals from making any decisions until a year or more after a loss, as some grief counselors do, we may be giving inappropriate advice. Such advice can cause people who feel ready to move on to wonder if they are hardhearted. Stephanie Coontz Read Quote
