The Meanings of Marital Equality by Scott R Harris

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Summary

An ethnographic study of marital equality.

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The Meanings of Marital Equality by Scott R Harris

Scott R. Harris develops an interactionist, interpretive approach to studying equality in social life by synthesizing the theoretical perspectives of four founding figures in interactionist, social constructivist thought-Herbert Blumer, Alfred Schutz, Harold Garfinkel, and John Dewey. He focuses on equality in marriage by examining the stories people tell about their equal and unequal marriages, and compares those tales to what researchers have had to say on the subject. Challenging conventional understandings of equality, Harris demonstrates that social scientists in general tend to impose interpretations of inequality onto their respondents' lives, rather than respecting and studying the meanings that people live by.

"Harris's unique approach moves well beyond the standard and, in my view, very tired thinking about what it means to have an equal (or unequal) marriageIf anything is central to the study of marriage and family, it's the question of marital equality. Every scholar and graduate student working in this area will need to have this book, and even those who disagree with the approach will need to read what Harris offers in order to properly come to terms with it from their varied points of view." — Jaber F. Gubrium, coeditor of Qualitative Research Practice

"Harris does an excellent job clarifying the differences between objectivist and constructionist perspectives. The issues he discusses are vital for any social scientific field. In some subfields, such as social problems research, the constructionist perspective is well established. In the family field there has been some discussion but no sustained presentation of how a constructionist perspective would offer an alternative way of understanding family life—Harris's book makes a real contribution here." — Stan J. Knapp, Brigham Young University

Scott R. Harris is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Saint Louis University.

SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780791466223
ISBN 10 0791466221
Title The Meanings of Marital Equality
Author Scott R Harris
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher State University of New York Press
Year published 2006-01-01
Number of pages 209
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.