Importance Of Arranged Marriage

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.

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.

Western society today has evolved to romanticise the idea of love, and along with it, the idea of a marriage based upon love. This has therefore pushed a negative stigma onto the concept of arranged marriages. A classic example of literature that pits these two clashing ideas against each other is William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Even today, many debate over the two, love or arranged marriages. Arranged marriages have been an international phenomenon for centuries, specifically in the continent of Asia.

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

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 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.

Arranged Marriage is perhaps one of the most shocking and stark affronts to western sensibilities. American minds, with their concepts of freedom and choice, would seem unable to grasp any benefit in a system which does not involve the complete free will and consent of both parties in a romantic relationship. The darkest images of arranged marriage paint in our minds the vision of two strangers meeting for the first time on their wedding day. Sometimes we envision children forced to wed each other, other times we picture the even more abhorrent idea of a wedding between a much older adult and an under aged child. News stories over the past few years have shown perhaps one of the most universally heart wrenching examples in the public’s memory, the case of Pastor Warren Jeffs in his polygamous marriage, as well as sexual assault, of teenage and pre-teen girls (State v. Jeffs). Is it possible arranged marriage could be anything more than a barbarous institution, a healthy marriage and well-adjusted children could result from such a union? Can Americans possibly be able to adapt such a foreign and arcane concept into a 21st century lifestyle? Many factors go into the defining of a successful marriage. Divorce rates are one of the most common sets of statistics referred to in order to gauge the success of marriage in a nation or place, as are marriage

“It is based on biological instinct in man and nature’s urge for production. It begins with earliest man and woman”8Basically everything about marriage and above all romantic – marriage will continue to fascinate every mind for times to come.”9 Marriage is often controlled by tradition and custom. It is universally acknowledged that marriages in every country are ceremonized through religious authority, sometimes by social reformers and legislators. But India remains disunited in marriage customs and rites. This aspect of the Indian life helps one to study the marriage and marriage customs through the ages. There is no denying the fact that most vital factors in marriage are love and beauty, nearness, contact and mutual admiration and contact. It may be said that in Hindu marriage, fortunately the sastric ideals are not universally observed and mutual admiration and reciprocal sentiments have not become extinct in

Marriage is an important institution that involves the union of people who are committed to establish a family. Due to the significance of marriage in many societies, it is considered a cultural issue that is affected by factors such as parental influence, religion, education background, occupation and even socioeconomic status. In many societies across the world, marriage has been partly arranged by parents based on familial considerations and social statues or classes. For example, in many parts in Asia, family descent is important (Allendorf & Pandian, 2016). For this reason, the choice of a family or the decision to marry cannot be left to children but should be the

being something like live-in-relationships in India. The union of a man and a woman isconsidered as one of the most sacred acts in this country. No wonder, living together beforemarriage is a bitter dampener for the staunch ethic upholders. However, the new millenniumhas ushered in great changes even within the country that has forever been enshrouded in ablanket of rich culture and heritage.In India, as per Hindu culture, tradition, customs and practices, marriage areconsidered to be made in heaven and celebrated on earth. Therefore marriages in India are considered to be the highest form of social relationship.

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 Asia, arranged marriages are well known. In many cultures it is honorable for a father or mother to choose and approve of their child's mate. Sometimes, parents are introduced to the candidate by spending a few moments chatting before reaching a final decision. In arranged marriages, there is also a matchmaker who discusses the marriage with the spouses' parents beforehand. They talk about financial security, culture, and other cultures' perception of the marriage. Even though the candidates are from the same country, many live in different caste systems. Religion and divorce are also discussed. The following explains the different facets of arranged marriages in more detail.

Marriage is one of the important institution in human society as it is a universal phenomenon that has been developed over time and currently, still continues to grow. In the Oxford dictionary, marriage is defined as, “The legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship.” In other words, it is a union between two people, particularly regulated by law in which they become partners. Therefore, selecting a husband or a wife is considered one of the most important decisions of a person’s life. As a result, in today’s world, people think of many questions before getting married. Who should I marry? What should I look for when choosing a partner? Would it be more likely to be successful if it the same culture as mines or would cross-cultural marriage be as beneficial? Nevertheless, today, cross-cultural marriage is not as frowned upon as it once was. Romano (2003) claims, “Interracial love were once quite rare and were almost uniformly negative” (p. 2). That is because the world is now an interesting and a diverse place to live in. Thus, there is more and more marriages of people from different cultures. In a marriage with a person from the same culture, there is already some distinct differences. Each individual was taught by different families, went to different schools, and grew up in different surroundings, therefore, their idea of the world is different and in general, their way of life is different. Walsh (2012) mentions, “Although

Marriage is defined as legal or religious union of two person in which they live together. There are different kind of marriage but mostly arrange marriage and love marriage is talked. “In many cultures, marriages are arranged by the parents, sometimes with the couple having little or no say. Such arranged marriages are often found within societies with a high degree of hierarchy and awareness of social rank” (BOOK). People often say arranged marriage are highly traditional and renowned, protect values and so on but what about in the life of bride and groom? Will they be happy protecting values and culture? Thus, Arranged marriage is a bad decision because they lack a freedom to choose and interference from extended family, lack of trust, understanding and love is not a first priority, and social problem.

Known to some people as a lifetime commitment of devotion, to others a promise to reside with a stranger, and even to some people as a union arranged by their parents, marriage is a widely varying ritual practiced all over the world. In the United States, marriage is a freedom of choice and an act of love, supported with benefits and privileges from the government. It has traditionally been the union of a woman and a man, made with the expectation of permanence and the aim of producing and raising offspring. Tradition, however, is beginning to change. The divorce rate is growing, there is an increase of step-families and single-parent families, and more and more couples are opting not to have children.