Marriage and divorce are not experienced the same way for men and women. The same is true for white and Black women. Sociologist Aneeka Henderson has written extensively about the marriage economy and the obstacles that limit opportunities even in marriages for Black people.
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Show notes:
Aneeka Henderson’s Veil and the Vow is an important read. It shifted my understanding of the way marriage functions in society and pop culture.
In the show, we talk about the Moynihan Report. In 2015, Ta-Nahisi Coates wrote a long analysis of the report’s legacy that is worth revisiting. The essay puts into focus how Americans understand poverty and marriage. And a lot of the myths perpetuated by the Moynihan report persist today.
I also thought this write-up about the Moynihan Report was very smart and worth the time it takes to read. And Tressie McMillan Cottom has this analysis.
This American Ex-Wife is hosted by Lyz Lenz (@LyzLenz) and produced by Zachary Oren Smith (@ZachOSmith). Illustration by Alessandro Gottardo. Show art by Suzanne Glémot (@tape_remover).
“Marriageocracy” with Aneeka Henderson