Table Of ContentPublic or Private Expectations?Changes in the Family and the HoneymoonThe History of the HoneymoonThe Myth of the ExoticSearching for the Self in the HoneymoonHoneymoon ItinerariesTheme Park ParadiseGreat ExpectationsVariations on the ThemeRomancing the Ritual
SynopsisTaking a multidisciplinary perspective, the authors present a wide ranging discussion of the cultural significance of the honeymoon, revealing it to be more a product of a socially constructed view of romantic love than of the couple concerned.', This book takes a multidisciplinary perspective, presenting a discussion of the cultural significance of the honeymoon., Romancing the Honeymoon is the first comprehensive look at the North American honeymoon from a multidisciplinary academic perspective. Using theoretical and methodological approaches from sociology, history, and cultural studies, this benchmark study presents a compelling discussion of the cultural significance of the honeymoon ritual. The authors present data on the origins of the honeymoon, historical changes in cultural narratives about honeymooning, honeymoon advertising, the symbolic meanings of contemporary honeymoon sites (architecture, space planning, and decorating), and the individual pre-honeymoon expectations and post-honeymoon realities of a sample of contemporary newlyweds. This book is about more than honeymoons, however, as historical changes and contemporary experiences in honeymooning are related to such issues as identity construction, gender conflict, interpersonal risk, and rationality in late modern society. This highly readable volume provides a unique study and demonstrates the relevance of social theory in an approachable manner. This multidisciplinary, multi-method application will provide students and scholars in family studies, gender studies, family sociology, and cultural studies with valuable insight in to this unique custom., Revealing that the honeymoon is more a product of a socially constructed view of romantic love than of the relationship of the individuals concerned, this book takes a multidisciplinary perspective, presenting a discussion of the cultural significance of the honeymoon.