Blissful Ignorance Will Not Do: Cross-Class Marriages as a Social Reality Anonymous College

If individuals can acknowledge people belong to particular classes, they may be able to realize how much a classes traits influence the characteristics of who they are. From there, they may be able to believe that class certainly plays a role within the operations of marriage. While many may be under the impression that they will marry someone sharing their sensibilities, this is not always quite the case. Cross-class marriages are more common than one may be conscious of. As class becomes more defined through the progression of time, it is increasingly vital to be aware of these aspects. In bringing this topic to the forefront, Jessi Streib provides a phenomenal illustration with her research and findings of married couples from white collar and blue collar class origins in The Power of The Past: Understanding Cross-Class Marriages, in which she makes a staggering note amongst the myths of marriage by stating, “If ignorance is bliss, it may be preferable to believe that each individual has unique sensibilities, and each couple is free from the class influence of their pasts. But, if the goal is to increase the well-being of couples or to alleviate inequality, then blissful ignorance will not do” (2015:198).

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