Marriage and the Social Sciences

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
The Witherspoon Institute
email: dsahner@winst.org

A three-day seminar on marriage and the social sciences will be held in June of 2007 at Princeton University. The seminar will consider the nature, health, and purposes of the institution of marriage in contemporary America; it will also explore the ways in which cohabitation and divorce affect children, adults, and the institution of marriage itself. The seminar will be directed by W. Bradford Wilcox (Sociology, University of Virginia). Brian D'Onofrio (Psychology, Indiana), Margarita Mooney (Sociology, UNC-Chapel Hill), Sharon Sassler (Sociology, Cornell), and Amy Wax (Law, University of Pennsylvania) will also help direct the seminar. A number of guest speakers will also address the seminar-including Robert George (Politics, Princeton).


Participants: Graduate students and recent Ph.D. graduates in Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and related disciplines who are interested in the institution of marriage are invited to apply (though preference will be given to those who are currently graduate students). Selection is competitive with an anticipated enrollment of sixteen. There is a $25 registration fee, however room/board and tuition on campus will be provided. Travel is not included but scholarships for travel are available to those who demonstrate financial need.


Schedule: Participants arrive on Wednesday afternoon and will depart the following Saturday afternoon (after 4 p.m.).

Activities: The seminar will combine lectures on central aspects of contemporary family life in the United States with intensive discussions between students and faculty. Students will be expected to read one book and a number of articles prior to coming to the seminar.

Qualifications: Interest in the study of American family life, especially the study of marriage as an institution.

Application: Prospective participants should send a brief letter of interest, curriculum vitae, one letter of recommendation, and one sample of scholarly writing to:

Duncan Sahner

The Witherspoon Institute

16 Stockton Street

Princeton, NJ 08540

Deadline: Materials must be received by Monday, April 2, 2007, with selections made by April 16th, 2007.

For further information, contact Duncan Sahner by email at dsahner@winst.org