PAH 250 - Tying the Knot: Marriage in America

This course offers a wide-ranging investigation into the changing role and practice of marriage in the United States. Americans often cite love, lifelong commitment, and companionship as their primary reasons for marrying, yet each marriage unfolds within a broader social, legal, and cultural context. Each newly married couple embarks on a journey that is simultaneously deeply personal, publicly recognized, and increasingly politicized. This course examines marriage as an intimate relationship between spouses, as a commitment shaped by family, community, and the state, and as a legal institution undergoing significant change. Students will also explore the history of marriage in America to better understand the social, cultural, and economic forces that have shaped it over time. The course will illuminate the lived experience of marriage past and present, enabling students to form a deeper understanding of this most public, yet most intimate, institution.