Story Archives of 'marriage'

Kate Hartnett and Rachel Stuart of Berlin have thought a lot about marriage over the years. They discuss some of the conclusions they've come to as well as their experiences over the years.

Research has long revealed that the financial and emotional benefits of a healthy marriage can actually make people healthier, especially compared to those who never marry.

But what happens when marriages end? New data collected from nearly 9000 participants between ages 51 and 61 shows that divorce and widowhood have a long-lasting negative impact on health.

The research also indicates that even re-marriage doesn’t restore good health. Dr. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago is co-author of the study Marital Biography and Health at Midlife. She joins us from her home office in Chicago to talk about her findings.

Journal of Health and Social Behavior: Marital Biography and Health at Midlife

The University of Chicago: Divorce Undermines Health in Ways Remarriage Doesn’t Heal

The New York Times: Divorce, It Seems, Can Make You Ill

(Photo by David Goehring via Flickr/Creative Commons)

D-I-V-O-R-C-E... it was such a dirty word that Tammy Wynette had to spell it out in front of the kids in her 1968 song.

The big “D." About 50 percent of first marriages in the U.S. end in divorce - the highest rate in the world. Yet divorce still carries feelings of shame, failure, and the stigma of damaged goods. “No more!” says Candace Walsh, features editor for Mothering Magazine. While the dissolution of her marriage was painful and traumatic, it didn’t call for whispered conversations or pity. Candace wanted to talk about it, and as a writer and editor, she found others who did, too.

Ask Me About My Divorce is an anthology of stories by women who open up about moving on when things didn’t turn out as they planned. Candace edited and contributed to the collection, and she joined us from her part-time home in New Mexico.

We also hear from Elaine Soloway who got married in 1960 when divorce was taboo. She contributed "A Badge On My Biceps" to the Ask Me About My Divorce anthology.

Ask Me About My Divorce

Elaine Soloway's blog She's Not The Type

(Photo by Ouij via Flickr/Creative Commons)

The unofficial wedding season has begun. The month of June will certainly see its fair share of handsome grooms and blushing brides. Tonight on the Front Porch, we're going to take a closer look at American wedding culture. Tradition is nice, but it can also be overwhelming. We'll find out how couples can take control of their nuptials and keep the wedding industry from calling too many of the shots. We'll talk with Kamy Wicoff, author of I Do But I Don't: Why they Way We Marry Matters. Kamy also sits on the board of the I Do Foundation.

We'll also get a quick primer on New Hampshire's new law that will allow civil unions for gay couples. We'll find out what couples considering a civil union might need to know. We'll talk with Michele Granda, staff attorney at GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders). The group recently released its guide to New Hampshire Civil Unions. You can download it here.

People get divorced… that hasn't changed much… almost as much as they did twenty years ago. What has changed is our attitudes around divorce. No longer carrying the social stigma it did back in our parents and grandparents day, some now even engage in "starter marriages" as they would approach a "starter home". Despite the change in shame around divorce, it still affects families, especially children. Today we'll look at divorce, how it touches people's lives and our changing cultural feelings towards the end of marriage. Laura's guests are Bill Chausse, Vice President of Child and Family Services of New Hampshire and Dr. Julia Lewis, Professor of Psychology at San Francisco State University and co-author of the book "Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25 Year Landmark Study".

*This show originally aired on 4/27/06*