Marriage Is An Institution That Is Important

Love is rarely the motivating reason for marriage, and Stephanie Coontz’s article, “The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love,” discusses this. Coontz brings forth a lot of information and many examples to inform the reader of how the western idea of marriage isn’t really as common as we believe that it is. She starts her article with a quote from George Bernard Shaw, who says that people who marry for love are, “under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions…” Many of the cultures that Coontz goes onto talk about later in the article share this viewpoint. The author writes about the history of marriage and touches on societies that have obscure views of it now. She does a great job of organizing the information into a timeline starting with marriage in the ancient times, love in African tribes, adultery throughout history, monogamy, and marriage now in Western society. Most of Western society bases getting married on the idea of “love until death.” Coontz argues that this Western invention is and has often been seen as radical.

In Andrew J. Cherlin’s essay “American Marriage In Transition”, he discusses how marriage in America is evolving from the universal marriage. Cherlin’s definition of the universal marriage in his essay is the man is the breadwinner of the household and the woman is the homemaker. In the 20th century according to Cherlin, the meaning of marriage has been altered such as the changing division of labor, childbearing outside of marriage, cohabitation, gay marriage and the result of long- term cultural and material trends (1154). During the first transition of marriage, Cherlin discusses how in America, Europe, and Canada the only socially accepted way to have sexual relations with a person and to have children is to be married (1154). The second change in marriage occurred in 2000, where the median age of marriage in the United States for men is 27 and women is 25 (1155). Many young adults stayed single during this time and focused on their education and starting their careers. During the second change, the role of law increasingly changed, especially in the role of law in divorce (1155). It is proven in today’s research marriage has a different definition than what it did back in the 1950’s. Today marriage can be defined as getting married to the same gender or getting remarried to someone who already has kids. The roles in a marriage are evolving to be a little more flexible and negotiable. However, women still do a lot of the basic household chores and taking care of the

About two centuries ago a new standard to the way marriage should be viewed came about. This set higher expectations for marriage. This change made more strict divorce laws, in turn made it harder to end a good marriage, it gave individuals more freedom to refuse a spouse. “The husband became the family’s economic motor, and the wife its sentimental core.” (p. 385) By the late eighteenth century marriage became a private contract between a husband and wife and was not regulated by church or state. However many working-class families did not adopt the new norms until the twentieth century. Different culture and countries still argued their views, many changed their description of an ideal mate.

”since the beginning of civilization, in every known society, governments have recognized a marriage between a man and a woman because it provides the next generation outstanding citizens and is the only means of melding two sexes into a stronger and more complete whole” (Kaufman 164).

Union in marriage has existed in our society for ages and is not a recent concept. It is also referred to as matrimony; it is a publicly recognized union throughout the society between two different persons. In fact, you and I are here because your parents and my parents decided to get married to each other and bear children. Marriage is a form of correlation that involves mutual duties and rights where individuals are communally or socially consented to and initiate a family. Thus, marriage is a worldwide accepted and recognized social institution. There are different types of matrimonies that are practiced in different parts of the world. Each and every society has a different belief about marriage practices and the social recognition of the union. However, in our contemporary society, there are new forms of marriage unions cropping up, which may seem weird to some people, especially the religious and conservative members of the society. They are contrary to the initial idea of the marriage institution and surpass our knowledge. Important to note is that they are legitimate in some states, and hence, those practicing them do so with complete liberty and freedom. We are exploring the main forms of marriage. We will put the theme of marriage in the context of the other readings. Finally, we will include a further study on the theme of marriage while reflecting on the character and religious reasons behind them.

Marriage has often been described as one of the most beautiful and powerful unions one human can form with another. It is the sacred commitment and devotion that two people share in a relationship that makes marriage so appealing since ancient times, up until today. To have and to hold, until death do us part, are the guarantees that two individuals make to one another as they pledge to become one in marriage. It is easy to assume that the guarantee of marriage directly places individuals in an everlasting state of love, affection, and support. However, over the years, marriage has lost its fairy

Cherlin concludes that although today’s society focuses on the ideas of independence and institutionalized what marriage once met, the symbol for marriage is just as significant as it was before. Marriage is now “something to be achieved through one’s own efforts rather than something to which one routinely accedes” (50). Cherlin’s overall tone is genuine, in search of an answer to explain the social change. It is informative to the fact that people should understand the change that occurred because of the social norm

Established with Adam and Eve, still surviving, marriage is the oldest institution known. Often the climax of most romantic movies and stories, whether it may be ‘Pride and Prejudice’ or ‘Dil Wale Dulhaniya Ley Jaein Gey’, marriage has a universal appeal. It continues to be the most intimate social network, providing the strongest and most frequent opportunity for social and emotional support. Though, over the years, marriage appears to be tarnished with high divorce rates, discontentment and infidelity, it is still a principal source of happiness in the lives of respective partners. Although marriage is perceived as a deeply flawed institution serving more the needs of the society than those of the individuals, nevertheless, marriage is

Through this conflict, the world has and will continue to evolve into the modern community that we already have begun to live in today. This information is prevalent within the short story “Marriage is a Private Affair.” Although marriage has evolved a great amount in the past into what we know it as today, there are still civilizations that have stuck to their traditional beliefs and are looking to begin their own crusade as to what marriage beliefs should consist

Due to the Sexual Revolution in the 1960s, sex has been redefined allowing for cultural acceptance of societal phenomena such as the Hookup Culture, pre-marital sex, and cohabitation. Redefining sexual relationships has aided in the fundamental distortion of human sexuality and sexual relationships, causing the institution of marriage to be affected. Marriage has transitioned in the minds of contemporary culture from a covenant made between two people as reflection of “Christ’s self-offering to the Church” to “a mere ceremony – a ritual devoid of efficacy” (Grabowski, 117). This change in marriage has allowed the practice of cohabitation to increase. This increase occurred as individuals came to view marriage only as a capstone to their relationship,

In the twelfth to the seventeenth century, Gender Roles emphasizes individual in gender most in their marriage. “The vast majority of women in early modern Europe, the most important change in their lives was marriage (Wiesner 52).” “For men, in

In society, marriage is generally seen as an acceptable way of living life, and is often loaded with the expectation of having a family. However, marriage has various implications as well as meanings to an individual, based upon their experiences with marriage. Some view marriage simply and plainly as an experience you get to share with the love of your life. Others view it as a ploy to waste your time, and more often than not some do it because it is practical. Contrary to the negativity and skepticism surrounding marriage, individuals still aspire to get married. Regardless of the various viewpoints of marriage some individuals have to offer, the institution of marriage still holds significance within our society. Reflecting upon this myself,

Marriage is a ritual that marks a change in status for a man and a woman and the acceptance by society of the new family that is formed (Rosman & Rubel, 1981). Marriage, like other customs, is governed by rules (Rosman & Rubel, 1981). Anthropology has represented marriage as the definitive ritual and universally translatable regulative ideal of human societies (BORNEMAN, 1996). Marriage also the act of joining two persons of opposite sex together to become as husband and wife. Many people in the society have different opinions or outright misconception of the meaning of marriage. While some people see it as a union between a man and woman, others take it to mean an agreement made between a man

Since ancient times every culture has had its unique standards of beliefs. This paper has studied two countries with different traditions when it comes to marriage and also examines the overall culture of the two countries. Marriage is a sacred ritual in every country. This practice is valued since marriage is the foundation of a new family. However, marital rites and practices varies in different countries, making each culture unique and colorful. Each country has its different qualities and also has almost the same motives and purposes.

Marriage is a union that has been around for as long as humans have walked the earth. The human race depends upon the union of its members, and as such, the subject of marriage has been an issue that receives more intense scrutiny and attention than many would likely believe. In today's day and age, with humanity continuing to move in a modern direction, many argue that marriage is a union that should be entered into freely and should be based exclusively on the love between two people. However, I argue that arranged marriage, which has taken place throughout the ages and throughout the world, is a union that offers its observers a marriage based in support, longevity and love, and is an institution that should not be frowned upon.