帝国时代婚姻的文化史

这本书着眼于在帝国时代（1800-1900），婚姻是世界范围内生命历程中的一个关键转变，是一个具有重大文化意义的普遍仪式。虽然婚姻制度在某些方面受到了威胁——比如西方社会离婚率的上升——但在另一些方面，它比以往任何时候都更加稳固。在西欧，婚姻越来越被视为获得幸福和自我实现的唯一途径，浪漫伴侣的选择成为一种新的理想，但物质利益仍然是选择终身伴侣的指导原则。在美国，前奴隶在内战后获得了结婚的权利，并使现有的婚姻关系正式化，从而导致黑人和白人之间的婚姻模式趋于一致。在拉丁美洲，婚姻在过去和现在都不如世界其他地区普遍——这是因为双方自愿结合的盛行——但结婚率仍在上升。澳大利亚和新西兰也出现了类似的趋势。在非洲和亚洲社会，欧洲殖民列强试图改变土著居民的婚姻习俗，例如关于一夫多妻制和包办婚姻的习俗，但迟早他们必须调整自己和他们的殖民政府，以避免重大阻力。在一个政治和经济动荡的世界里，婚姻和家庭仍然是安全的避风港，几个世纪以来一直是社会的关键。
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A Cultural History of Marriage in the Age of Empires
This volume looks at how, during the age of empires (1800–1900), marriage was a key transition in the life course worldwide, a rite of passage everywhere with major cultural significance. While in some ways the institution of marriage became threatened – for instance through rising divorce rates in Western societies – in others it became more anchored than ever before. In Western Europe marriage was increasingly regarded as the only way to reach happiness and self-fulfillment, and romantic partner choice became a new ideal, but material interests remained nevertheless guiding principles in the selection of a partner for life. In the United States former slaves obtained the right to marry and to formalize existing bonds after the Civil War, leading to a convergence in marriage patterns between the black and white population. In Latin America, marriage was and remained less common than in other world regions – due to the prevalence of consensual unions – but marriage rates were nevertheless on the rise. A similar trend was observed in Australia and New Zealand. In African and Asian societies, European colonial powers tried to change the marriage customs of indigenous populations-for instance regarding polygamy and arranged marriages-but sooner or later they had to adapt themselves and their colonial administrations in order to avoid major resistance. In a world of turbulent political and economic change, marriage and the family remained safe havens, the linchpins of society that they had been for centuries.
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