Marriage and the State

'Marriage and the State' is a seminal sociological and legal study exploring the complex relationship between matrimonial laws and their practical administration in the early twentieth-century United States. Based on extensive field studies conducted across numerous jurisdictions, this work examines the significant disparities between legislative intent and the actual enforcement of marriage regulations.Author Mary Ellen Richmond, a pioneer in the field of social work, meticulously documents the processes through which states license and oversee the institution of marriage. The study highlights critical social issues of the era, including child marriage, hasty unions, and the varying standards of officiants and licensing officials. The book serves as a comprehensive evaluation of the state’s role as a guardian of social welfare through the regulation of domestic partnerships. By analyzing data from direct field observations, Richmond offers a detailed look at the machinery of local government and the social consequences of administrative negligence or inconsistency.'Marriage and the State' remains an essential historical resource for understanding the evolution of family law, the professionalization of social work, and the intersection of private life and public policy. It provides invaluable insights into the social reform movements of the late 1920s and the development of modern administrative standards in American domestic relations.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.