Stephanie Coontz Quotes

American - Author | August 31, 1944 -

Second marriages can and do create 'real' families.

Stephanie Coontz

CreateRealMarriagesSecond

For most of America's history, people typically aspired to acquire 'a competency' rather than great riches. A competency meant the ability to comfortably sustain a household without depending on others. 'Competence' also meant being capable and reliable. The American Dream was that people who worked hard and capably could support their families.

Stephanie Coontz

HistoryGreatAmerican DreamSupport

You can't judge a family's health by the form it's in at a given moment.

Stephanie Coontz

FamilyHealthMomentJudgeYouForm

I've had the kind of complex life I write about. I was a single mother for 12 years. I'd been engaged. The wedding fell through. I then discovered I was pregnant and opted to have the child on my own. I was a professor. I was in my mid-30s. I could manage it financially.

Stephanie Coontz

LifeMotherChildWeddingKindOwn

In 1975, which was the height of the women's movement, I thought I'd write a book on women's history. But in searching for a topic, I realized that there were few places in history where men and women interacted. Finally, it hit me: 'Oh, look at the family. That's the one place.'

Stephanie Coontz

FamilyWomenHistoryMenMeBook

In the 1970s, family history wasn't yet thought of a serious field for study. I was terrified of being laughed at by other historians. I called my book 'The Social Origins of Private Life.' It should have been 'As Pompous as You Want to Be.' Every sentence was academic jargon, and if I said X, I qualified it with Y.

Stephanie Coontz

LifeFamilyHistoryBookThought

Donald Trump has tapped into a deep vein of racism, nativism, and misogyny.

Stephanie Coontz

RacismDeepDonald TrumpTrumpVein

Liberal politicians, in celebrating the benefits of modernization, free trade, diverse families, and the rise of more women and minorities into political and economic prominence, have often glossed over the pain of white blue-collar communities.

Stephanie Coontz

WomenPainFreePoliticalWhite

Presidents Reagan and the first George Bush never used the vile language of some Trump supporters, but both blamed scarce resources and decaying communities on 'welfare queens' and black criminals like Willie Horton.

Stephanie Coontz

BlackLanguageNeverFirstResources

When liberals dismiss all Trump supporters as racists, this only fuels their anger.

Stephanie Coontz

AngerOnlyLiberalsTrumpSupporters

Cohabitation itself doesn't cause ineffective parenting.

Stephanie Coontz

ParentingCauseIneffectiveItself

It is ironic that so many politicians claim to defend traditional Christian values of 'faith and family.' In fact, a radical antifamily ideology permeates Christ's teaching, and the early Christian tradition often set faith and family against each other.

Stephanie Coontz

FamilyFaithChristianValuesEarly

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