An Analysis of Wedding Books for Grooms: A Feminist Perspective

摘要

Messages about engagements and weddings are pervasive in our society and media. The purpose of this study was to understand one aspect of these messages by conducting an ethnographic content analysis of 12 wedding books for grooms published from 1995 to 2006. A feminist theoretical perspective guided this study and an in-depth review of the literature is provided in order to understand weddings as a ritual in society. Five overarching themes emerged suggesting that during the engagement the groom should act as a manager, define masculinity through oppression, preserve masculinity, maintain traditional gender roles, and act as a social coordinator. A discussion of the meanings and implications of these results is presented.