United States marriage, the wedding industry and neoliberalism.

摘要

Within US culture marriage, has become associated with one event, a wedding. Social and economic policies implemented by the US government normalize marriage in American society. Marriage is perpetuated and institutionalized through the cultural norms associated with marriage and weddings. This has led to a continuously growing wedding industry that currently flourishes and is expanding globally. The global expansion of the US wedding industry is found in the overseas production of goods that are consumed for US weddings. Marriage, weddings and neoliberalism become bound together by American policies and institutions that stress marriage, traditional gender norms and free market capitalism.;My research seeks to examine three overarching questions on the connections between US neoliberal policies and ideologies, marriage, the accompanying wedding industry and women laborers globally. First, how the domestic policies implemented by the US perpetuate the institution of marriage as normal and reinforce marriage in American culture. Secondly, how is the US wedding industry's development and expansion tied to the proliferation of neoliberal capitalism? Finally, because the majority of goods for the American wedding industry are produced globally, how the consumption of these goods for US weddings affects women laborers globally. In the conclusion I will discuss possible policy solutions for these overarching issues. To examine these connections, I will analyze heterosexual marriage norms, public policies, neoliberal capitalism, and sweatshop labor.