Kimberly Richman

Solid, but somewhat plodding prose summary of extensive survey and interview data from San Franciscans who participated in the 2004 "Winter of Love," and couples in Massachusetts who married in the wake of the Goodrich decision. The net outcome is that people marry for a variety of reasons, some of which are not fully acknowledged by the participants themselves until later in the process.

Richman's uneven attempts to overlay some theory through which to understand these results are unhelpful, but fortunately rare. As is often the case, more insight would have been obtained from in-depth ethnographic observation of a few couples, rather than cursory skimming reactions from many.… (altro)