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Attitude: Women who keep their last names may be seen as holding non-traditional views on marriage and gender roles.

Behavior: The act of not changing one’s last name is an explicit behavior that deviates from traditional norms.

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Women Keeping Their Last Name After Marriage 

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Women Keeping Their Last Name After Marriage 

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The decision for a woman to keep her last name after marriage challenges traditional societal norms and expectations regarding gender roles and family identity. In many cultures, taking the husband's last name is seen as a symbolic gesture of unity and familial legitimacy. Women who choose to retain their maiden names are often perceived as rejecting traditional values, asserting independence, or prioritizing career identity over marital conformity. This behavior is considered deviant because it goes against long-standing social norms, even though it is entirely legal and increasingly common. Investigating this deviant behavior is important as it reflects changing gender roles and societal expectations in modern times.

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Selection: Keeping one’s maiden name is a personal choice, making it a form of deviance that is voluntarily selected.

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Positive Impacts:

Promotes gender equality by challenging outdated norms.

Encourages personal identity retention and career continuity.

Negative Impacts:

May lead to social judgment, particularly in traditional communities.

Can create bureaucratic confusion in legal and familial settings.

Societal Reactions:

Vary by region and culture; more accepted in progressive societies but stigmatized in traditional communities.

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Many women who choose to keep their last names do not view themselves as deviant but rather as individuals asserting autonomy over their identities. Some see it as a feminist act, resisting patriarchal traditions, while others view it as a professional necessity, especially for those with established careers.

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Social Constructionist/Relativist Perspective (Micro-Level): The perception of this behavior as deviant is shaped by societal norms that vary across cultures and time periods. Some regions accept this choice, while others strongly oppose it.

Normative/Positivist Perspective (Macro-Level): This perspective highlights how traditional norms dictate expected behaviors in marriage, framing deviation from these norms as an anomaly.

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Type of Stigma: This behavior falls under blemishes of individual character, as it is seen as a rejection of traditional values and expectations.

Discreditable vs. Discredited: This form of deviance is largely discreditable, meaning that unless a woman explicitly states her choice to retain her last name, others may not immediately recognize her deviation from the norm.

Additional Goffman Concepts:

Impression Management: Women may navigate different social settings by selectively revealing their decision, particularly in professional versus personal spheres.

Passing: Some women may use their husband’s name informally while keeping their maiden name in professional or legal contexts to minimize stigma.

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Goffman, Erving. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Prentice Hall, 1963.

Goldin, Claudia, and Maria Shim. "Making a Name: Women’s Surnames at Marriage and Beyond." Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 18, no. 2, 2004, pp. 143-160.

Scheuble, Laurie K., and David R. Johnson. "Marital Name Change: Plans and Attitudes of College Students." Journal of Marriage and Family, vol. 55, no. 4, 1993, pp. 747-754.

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Strain Theory (Merton’s Macro-Level Perspective)

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Strain Theory (Merton’s Macro-Level Perspective)

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Cultural Goal and Acceptable Means: The cultural expectation is for married women to take their husband’s last name as a sign of unity and familial belonging. Women who keep their last names challenge this norm.

Mode of Adaptation: This behavior aligns with innovation as described by Merton that women accept the goal of a strong marital identity but seek alternative means to achieve it without conforming to traditional name-changing norms.