Marriage Research Paper

In the Middle Ages marriages were often arranged according to wealth and social status. Girls were often married at a young age and to much older men. In the King Arthur legends, King Arthur

Divorce did not come about until the Protestant Reformation and even then, it was mostly used by upper class citizens. “Fornication, clandestine marriage, and adultery were sexual offenses related to marriage.” Adultery was seen as a “wife’s crime” and was very serious. On the other hand, men did the same thing but were not punished for it. These men even had children outside of their marriage and the wife was expected to take care of them just the same. This happened mostly with high status families, but in poorer families men resulted to bigamy of desertion. Either way, the woman was put in an unfair position that she had to deal with.13

Before the eighteenth century, marriage was far less complicated. Verbal consent and consumation constituted legal marriage: "once the knot was tied by such verbal exchanges it could not be

Being married was just as important in the past as it is now ("Elizabethan Wedding Customs" 1).

In over half a century, marriage has transformed from being a social requirement to simply being an option in today’s society. What has caused this change? Many institutions in our society have changed drastically along with marriage. Although these institutions have not caused marriage to be optional, they do strongly correlate with the decreased value. The economy, education, religion, and government have all altered since the 1950s. When any institution encounters a change, all other institutions are affected. Family is a major institution in society, and I believe that marriage is an important aspect of this institution. Cohabitation, religion, women in the work world and divorce have all effected the way marriage is viewed today.

“Just as today a woman’s wedding was one of the most important days of her life” (William Shakespeare info). During the Elizabethan Era, most marriages were arranged, and some couples would be introduced to each other on their wedding day itself! (William Shakespeare info) Many of times marriages were done so that both families could “benefit” in some way, such as status or wealth ( Linda Alchin). Even though there are some differences from then to now, weddings today have some of the same aspects as Elizabethan weddings did, because a wedding is still one of the biggest days of a person’s life. There were many customs, preparations, and important ceremonies done during these times, and some of them are

Most women got married very young, and without any say on who they would like to marry (“Womens Roles Of ”). Women typically married earlier in their life, starting as young as 13 or 14. The novel of Catherine, Called Birdy states many themes of marriage rights and how women are controlled. Catherine is being forced to marry a man because she has come of age, but she doesn’t want to get married. She recalls that her father “does not see it my way and seeks to improve our position through my marriage bed” (Cushman 33). All she wants to live her young life and not be trapped in an arranged marriage. Because marriage during the medieval period was very important for women to gain social status and wealth, many fathers pushed their daughters to marry. Although, she tries to fight the marriage, her father wins and chooses the worst man of all to marry, Shaggy Beard. During medieval times, fathers would find rich men for their daughters to marry and the women would have to agree or there would be consequences. This action of forced marriage that fathers put on their daughters was unfair because men were not treated like this at all. They were not driven to get married because men had a different role in society. Men were more dominant and powerful and could choose who they wanted to marry. Marriage in the middle ages was very complicated and enforced on women at very young

Most people argue that the family is in ‘crisis’. They point to the rapidly increasing divorce rate, cohabitation, illegitimacy and number of single parent families.

The simplest and most basic foundation of a sociological civilization or group begins at the core center of sociology; which is marriage and the inner-fabric creation of a family. It is said that matches are made in heaven, however finding and defining your “soul mate” differs from one social group to the next. The social institution of marriage changes and adapts consistently through time, religious practice, and national beliefs. Many people believe they lead happy and satisfying lives without a marital partner, as others highly value and desire a life-long marital partner as the pinnacle achievement of their life.

Nowadays, people don’t want to make the wedding ceremony by using their traditional practice. There are several factors that have been involved which are education, source of economic in urban areas, and the modernization. Mostly all members of society from rural areas have moved to urban areas because of factor of work. In rural area, the number of work is decrease. Besides that, the living standard of live has been changed in this new era

What does marriage mean? By definition, marriage is “the legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife” (Webster’s Dictionary). Most people claim that they want their marriage to last a lifetime. Because over half of all marriages in the United States end in a divorce, most people lack the understanding of what it takes to stay married. I believe that couples should become more aware of the commitment that they are making when they enter into marriage.

Elizabethan marriages were a very large ordeal involving not only the town but the families of both parties. The large ordeal was not only unnecessary but also very time consuming and stressful. Marriages, birth, and deaths were all the three cycles of life that were dealt with in the church (Evans 6-7). Marriages that were done by law and not church were not registered as there were no witnesses to the betrothal. Church marriages were common and proper as they would be recorded by the pastor (Harrison 1640). Fathers could get rid of their daughters by marrying them off or if he didn’t, when the daughter came of age, the parents would arrange a marriage for the young teenaged girl to a much older man (Evans 6-7). At fourteen, a child had been responsible for all their actions long ago and was now ripe with puberty and at thirty, a man could be financially stable enough to provide for a bride and any children she might bring. All the girl’s possessions would go to the man so wealthy women never remained single for long. If problems in the marriage arose, nothing could be done because the rules of the church stated that marriage lasted until the death of each party. Not only were marriages done without the age of both parties in mind, but marriages were not for love. Families married to carry on the family surname and increase possessions and

Arranged marriage is a good thing and should be respected by those throughout the world who condemn it.

Do arranged marriages violate human rights as they are protected by international humanitarian law? Marriage is a vital part of the social and economic life of a person’s life. It forms the foundation for a continued family line, and the backdrop for raising children. In most societies, marriage is an important relation both between the two people and between the person and the society, and there are many rituals and traditions tied to the marriage. In many parts of the world, arranged marriages are still common, and are the expected and accepted way to find someone to share a lifetime with.

Marriage is the socially recognized union of two or more people. Selecting a marriage partner is very much a culturally defined process. The rules governing selection vary widely from society to society and are more often complex. How would you go about selecting a mate? Where would you begin? What criteria would you use? When we look around the world to see how other societies deal with these questions, it is clear that the ways of selecting a mate or a marriage partner has been changed from generation to generation.