Are civil unions a 600-year-old tradition? A new study (again) makes the case:
Opponents of gay marriage in the United States today have tended to assume that nuclear families have always been the standard household form. However, as [historian Allan A. Tulchin] writes, "Western family structures have been much more varied than many people today seem to realize, and Western legal systems have in the past made provisions for a variety of household structures."
For example, in late medieval France, the term affrèrement-roughly translated as brotherment-was used to refer to a certain type of legal contract, which also existed elsewhere in Mediterranean Europe. These documents provided the foundation for non-nuclear households of many types and shared many characteristics with marriage contracts, as legal writers at the time were well aware, according to Tulchin.
The new "brothers" pledged to live together sharing 'un pain, un vin, et une bourse'-one bread, one wine, and one purse.
When the late John Boswell made similar arguments over a decade ago, issues with his scholarship undermined his work. It may be interesting to see if Tulchin has greater success.
One Comment for “Everything Old Is New Again”
posted by Adrienne Critcher on
Read “Marriage, A History: How Love Conquered Marriage” by Stephanie Coontz to see how what is presented as “traditional marriage” today has a very short history. This book was selected as one of the best books of 2005 by the Washington Post. The Post cites Coontz’s book as one which “neatly, entertainingly and convincingly deconstructs a number of our most cherished and least examined beliefs about the bonds that tie men and women together, for better and for worse.” There are some references to same-sex marriage, but the book primarily shows the difference forms and purposes of marriage throughout history. There really is no such thing as traditional marriage, and if there were, it would probably be polygamy. The church’s somewhat late interest in the institution of marriage is also discussed.