Arranged Marriage Gender Roles

Arranged marriage is found in various cultures and countries around the world, including Afghanistan and other parts of the Middle East; having an arranged marriage is thought of as an Afghani tradition and has been a part of life for many families. The practice of arranged marriage has advantages and disadvantages; it can create more family power and give more financial security. Sadly being forced into a marriage can disrupt the independence of the engaged, most women stop their education when they become engaged resulting in many women being illiterate. This makes it impossible for them to be successful without depending on their husbands. Arranged marriage is found in many cultures throughout the modern world, though in a lot of cases it results in a happy family it can also be very limiting on women and often girls are married before they can give consent.

Arranged Marriage vs. Free-choice Marriage"Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry" (Tom Mullen, 2005, p.1). It is argued that free-choice marriages based on love or romance, offer more independence and freedom as compared to arranged marriages where the man and woman are chosen by the parents and so there is pressure and is not so suitable and independent. However, no marriage is necessarily an ideal sort of marriage. Therefore, it becomes difficult to predict the ideal sort of marriage. The decision is upon the individual, whether he or she wants to be part of an arrange or free-choice marriage. There are two main types of marriages that are practiced in various societies and

Arranged marriages might seem to be few and far between, but according to research institute Statistic Brain, they constitute 53 percent of marriages worldwide. Arranged marriages are not common practice in the United States and other developed countries, but they are very prevalent in various countries and tribes around the globe. In many instances, arranged marriages persist simply due to cultural and religious traditions. However, this is not to say that arranged marriage is without its pros and cons. In fact, there are significant counts both for and against the practice. Ultimately, arranged marriage is a very complex and arguably outdated practice, as can be seen in the short story “Marriage is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe.

Stephanie Coontz is a sociologist who is interested in marriage and the change in its structure over the time-span as love became a main proponent of the relationship involved in marriages. In her article, “What 's Love Got to Do With It,” Coontz argues that the more love becomes a part of the equation the less stable the institution of marriage becomes. Marriage at one point was a social contract that bound two families together to increase their property and wealth as well as ally connections. Each party entered into the contract knowing their roles and if one partner failed to meet the expectations, they were still contractually obligated to one another and were not allowed to divorce. As love became part of the equation, each partner was less sure of their obligations and often chose to end their marriages if at all possible.

Arranged marriages occur all over the world and in some parts it is popular or compulsory and in others not so admired. Most

Some cringe at the third world thought of arranged marriage. However, Ji Hyun Lee’s article in The New York Times titled, “Modern Lessons From Arranged Marriages”, begins to raise questions concerning how lessons from this culturally unique phenomenon may be able to aid in non-arranged marriages in the United States with the help of experts. Michael J. Rosenfeld, associate sociology professor at Stanford University claims, “I don’t think love marriage and arranged marriage are as different as we make them out to be.” He asserts that the concept of “love marriage” mimics the ancient art of pairing in “arranged marriages,” stating that individuals end up being partnered with another whom is similar to themselves in regards to race, religion, class background, and age. Senior Research Psychologist, Robert Epstein found that parental involvement is the key to a strong arranged marriage, as the parents screen for potential deal breakers in the couples’ relationship. Many in successful arranged marriages attribute the success of their union to their parents’ involvement. Dr. Epstein notes that in a nation such as the US, we celebrate independence and freedom of choice, which is likely the reason why so many view arranged marriages with such unwavering hesitation. Although he admits that the tradition of arranged marriages does not hold much hope in gaining acceptance today, he notes an undeniable fact: when 40-50% of all American marriages end in divorce, there is logic in

The parents of a bride and groom made the decision as to who their child would marry with no consideration of their child’s wishes or needs. These arranged marriages were created more like business decisions than romantic unions of men and women. These marriages were usually arranged between a bride and groom who came from families with like economic backgrounds. (Tamura, E., 1997) Additionally, these arranged marriages were not harmonious unions.

The power of tradition is created through the culture norms of the societies seen in the undeveloped countries. Gender stereotyping is still occurring due to girls not attending schools because they are training to become “good wives”. Keeping girls from attending

An arranged marriage can be defined as “the arrangement of a marriage exclusively by a third party or by a joint venture of the third party and the child/person getting married” (Bowman and Dollahite, 2013). Most marriages in the world are arranged by parents or matchmakers and in many cultures in the non-Western world, love is believed not to be a requirement for marriage (Epstein, Pandit, & Thakar, 2013). In some of these cultures, arranged marriages are not only accepted, but are considered a normal part of life and it is believed that falling in love with someone who has a different upbringing and background does not produce a successful relationship (Houghton, 2011). In these specific relationships, the responsibilities of the husband

Girls not brides webpage reports that over 60% of child brides in developing countries have had no formal education. Non educated adults usually do not understand the value of education leading to decisions that affect the child and their fundamental rights. Generally, girls suffer of genre inequality which leads to the believe that they should not study and are more useful as wife. Girls with education are less likely to get married before the age of 18 years old because education allows them to develop their skills and make wise decisions. On the other hand, girls without access to education and sexuality education are more vulnerable to sexual transmitted diseases (STD) and pregnancies.

Thousands of years ago Plato wrote of a love perpetuated by the idea that two people were made for each other. Although evolved, this is the root of the common western idea of love as shown through literature, various forms media and the expectations of society. Undoubtedly the most common form of love westerns encounter is the ‘happy ever after’ romance where two lovers ride off into the sunset and live out the rest of their days happily. This permeates into our lives in ways like the notion of the American dream, our friends and family telling us “is it not time to settle down and find a partner”, even tax incentives! Throughout people’s entire lives they are led to believe this form of love is the status quo, that this is the right way to do it, however, this is not the way everyone experience love!

Being from the country where arranged marriage is all too common, I have relatives and know many people who were forced to marry and stay with someone they had no feelings for, did not know, or had never seen before. This is because the parents arranged it for them based on the reputation of the woman and her family in their social milieu; the result was that the marriage ended up failing in many levels sooner rather than later because the couple could not just get along since they did not make a perfect match. A failed marriage is even worse for a woman, who once she loses her virginity, she often finds it very difficult to get married again because her virginity is her dignity in some societies. It is safe to say that women are held to a double standard because men can get married easily after a failed marriage without any influence from their previous marriages. Even in instances where this type of matrimony seems to be successful, it is a woman enduring verbal, emotional, and even physical abuses because she has no other choice but to stick to her husband for the sake of her children, knowing that she will need somebody to look after her kids since the husband is the breadwinner. In one of the stories about marriage compiled by Shagufta Yaqub,features editor on Q-News in Orbit, Sabiha Kusar notes the following about marriage in her community in

It is a common thought that being involved in an arranged marriage does not lead to any beneficial outcomes. However, not all cases lead this way. Arranged marriages has its advantages to both the bride, groom, and their family. In an article by Ji (2010), he stated that being in an arranged marriage is more reliable and rational. This is because the bride and groom are most likely chosen by the parents within the same social class and with the consent of the parents. With this, this will lead to a more stable and a more harmless relationship. According to the author, being in an arranged marriage will lessen the probability of the bride being looked down upon or hurt. This is because the bride is well-respected by both the parents and society.

In American culture, where independency and autonomy are strong values, practices such as Indian arranged marriages are often seen as wild and outdated. Yet in the 2012 survey conducted in India by the NDTV, an independent TV channel, as many as 74% of respondents spoke in favor of arranged marriage. Also India is known to have one of the lowest divorce rates in the world. This evidence suggests that the matter is more complex than it may seem at first glance and I will be looking at some of the advantages of arranged marriage and reasons why, to this day, this ancient tradition is still popular.

“I have found the one whom my soul loves.” Men and women, since the beginning of time, have always dreamed of quoting this line. People show and express love in all sort of ways and for numerous reasons. As seen in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, men and women in the 19th century expressed their love for one another very differently than we do today. American society’s views on love have emerged into something completely different than what they were two hundred years ago. The formal courtship, simple engagement, and development of marriage in the 19th century were vastly contrasting than in the present day.