Arranged Marriages in India

Marriage practices vary across cultures. Every culture has its own way of conducting marriage according to their traditions and customs. Most cultures share common customs and practices, while some cultures have unique practices. Marriage refers to a social union agreed upon by the couples to unit as spouses. The union of couples implies sexual relations, permanence in union, and procreation. This research paper focuses on comparing marriage practices in American and Indian culture. There is significant difference between the two cultures in marriage practices.

The vast literature dedicated to the topic of arranged marriages sheds light on the transition of perception towards marriage in diverse societies across the globe. It also discusses the influence of the western culture on the rest of the world while at the same time highlighting the conflicts created due to that and how the younger generations are witnessing a change in mindset while tackling these.

In our society, we wouldn’t consider arranged marriages as a normal thing we are, use to consensual heterosexual serial monogamy. But in some countries, they do consider arranged marriages normal. In India, arranged marriages have been apart of the Indian culture since the fourth century and many consider it a central fabric of Indian society (Arranged Marriages, Matchmakers, and Dowries in India, 2000). Pakistan also considers arranged marriages as normal in Pakistani culture elders of the family are considered wise and they are the ones who help pick out a spouse a family member (Arranged Marriages are the Part of Pakistani Culture, 2012). Japan still practices arranged marriage but now less than ten percent of marriages are arranged compared to half a century ago when about seventy percent were arranged(Tying the Knot, 1998). In China, they have marriage markets where parents line the pathways share with other parents their clippings they have on their child, hoping to find a good match for their child (Epatko, 2015). Still, today many countries consider arranged marriages normal.

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

An arranged marriage by definition is a marriage planned and agreed upon by the families or guardians of the bride and groom. The amount of input a bride or groom has is based on the type of arranged marriage (Psychology Wiki). Arranged marriage is a sensitive topic as it involves the values, beliefs and core characteristics of many people. There are multiple views on arranged marriage, both positive and negative. In the west, most individuals have negative opinions on arranged marriage. Arranged marriage can be researched and analyzed from an anthropological, psychological and sociological perspective. Through the three perspectives, many distinctive differences and similarities between arranged marriage and other types of marriage such

In the year of 2016, 26,250,000 arranged marriages occurred annually worldwide. In another perspective, 52.25% of marriages were arranged as of 2016 (“Arranged/Forced”). Arrange marriage has many customs and traditions, and requirements for the future bride or groom.Refusal to this type of marriage can cause many problems on sides of the family and child. These requirements and consequences of refusal can be shown in the short story “Marriage is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe.

In American culture the view on arranged marriages are not looked at very favorably. This is because we have grown up with the knowledge that when it comes time to marry we will have chosen our spouse of our own free will. The match will be a love match and one that is chosen through our own needs. Young men and women in India grow up with an opposite view on marriage. They know that when it comes time to marry their parents will find them a suitable mate and it will be considered scared and a lifelong commitment (Agence France-Presse.) A total of 74 percent of respondents from across India voted in favour of traditional "arranged" marriages, according to the poll by private television channel NDTV. In the Hindu faith, marriage is

Ali explained to me that in her Hindu culture and religion, it was custom to have a marriage between two people arranged by the parents. My shock turned to confusion; I had only heard of arranged marriages in movies and books. Not something seen in real life. I was used to a culture where the majority of the population is Catholic and Hispanic and couples choose each other. Since she’s my friend, my first thought was concern for her happiness in an arranged marriage after living in the United States for so long. How much of our culture and customs has she absorbed and what impact will it have on her “arrangement”? But, she then mentioned she was happy and excited because she knew and liked the person whom she is set to marry. My concern for her arranged marriage dissipated; I knew that what may not seem normal for me was normal for her. So, I also came to realize the important part here was that she was happy. I didn’t know it then, but those thirty minutes around lunch table altered my views and they were forever changed for the better. It also exposed me to a small part of the world outside of my non-diverse border

ReferencesAugust, P. (2005, October). Arranged Marriages in the Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arranged_marriageBowman, H. & Spanier, G. (1978). Modern Marriage. McGraw-Hill Book Company.

First of all, every culture has different customs implemented on its community. This is especially evident in “Matrimony with a Proper Stranger”, which details the circumstances of arranged marriage and its application in Indian life.

Arranged marriages are very popular amongst many countries and cultures. It is the tradition of someone’s spouse being chosen for them, usually by their parents. Unfortunately, a decent amount of these marriages occur with the person being forced against their will, or the bride being a child. Arranged marriage, as seen in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” is an important topic in literature and modern-day culture.

In Claudia Kolker’s book The Immigrant Advantage, she talks about the cultural tradition of arranged marriages brought by South Asian immigrants to the United States. Kolker agrues that arranged marriages are much more effective in finding a spouse than traditional marriages. Kolker believes that this tradition of assistive marriage should be adopted by Americans. Research and studies have shown that “women in arranged marriages rated the highest marital status” (Kolker, 71) compared to couples who have arranged marriages. Arranged marriage is great for individuals who are ready to settle down and start their own life without wasting any time finding a partner. Arranged marriage saves a great amount of time on dating people who are not compatible with your personality or beliefs. As Kolker states, assistive marriage does not just save time in finding a lifelong partner but, it also leads to exceptional happiness between the couple than a traditional marriage reported by couples during studies. Traditions brought by immigrants such as, assistive marriage should be considered by American traditions.

In the eastern side of the world, arranged marriages are very common. It is not like the western world where couples date to know each other then choose whether they are the perfect match. Arranged marriages are often chosen by the elders in the family. This practice has been handed down for centuries. Throughout the marriage process, there are certain procedures that must be followed in eastern matchmaking. Once a match has been chosen, the couple will learn over time that commitment and acceptance comes prior to emotions and happiness. Even though our western ways may seem normal to us, the traditions of eastern marriages are custom through procedure, commitment and acceptance within their society.

In India arranged marriages have had a huge impact on the world’s society since the Elizabethan Era , this is why America should and is getting involved. Arranged marriages are most commonly found in eastern cultures like India or Japan. Arranged marriages are when relatives, close friends, or priests arrange for a couple to get married. The marriages are used for purposes like gaining wealth, allies, or power even if that means the marriage is unfair. In order for both families to be benefited with wealth they must both participate in arranging the marriage Think of it as more of an alliance between families, not a Union of couples (source 2). Getting married this way gives women very little choice in who they marry and why. Along with

In some Eastern countries having an arranged marriage is very common. This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation. Even today, these marriages have an important role in the societies where this tradition takes place. Many people agree with arranged marriages, however other people do not agree with them. I am against arranged marriages because there can be many problems in an arranged marriage. Some problems that could occur are: the couple is inexperienced with relationships, the couple doesn't like each other, and it's harder to get a divorce.