The romantic-love-as-primary-relationship notion addressed in the article about being dumped is fairly new - the counterexample that immediately springs to mind is the Lord of the Rings (with the counter-counterexample being all the slash fic that has come out of the really close friendships depicted in the books/movies, demonstrating that one of the easiest ways for us to understand such friendships is as romantic/sexual relationships). Part of it is the modern idea that men and women are peers rather than moving in two separate worlds vaguely connected through the bond of marriage. Beyond that, I'm not really sure what triggered the change. I do suspect it's effectively a fad, or maybe that's just a fond wish. . .
Marriage: A History is a great book which explains in part the social creation of female and male spheres, and their later deconstructions. Really, if you're looking for a good read on the centuries-long growing cultural importance of permanent romantic love [to not necessarily positive ends] in Western society, it's your book.
The being dumped essay is well written (a little narrow focus here and there, but that's understandable).
The Get Elements one, I was expecting a chemistry website, where you could specify classes (like "halogens") and get the matching elements (like chlorine or iodine). Oops!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-23 05:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-23 07:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-23 09:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-24 03:04 pm (UTC)The Get Elements one, I was expecting a chemistry website, where you could specify classes (like "halogens") and get the matching elements (like chlorine or iodine). Oops!