‘Marriage’ as a social institutions: what are rules, principles that underly marriage as a key institution.
When we think of marriage a clear image comes to mind, a man and a woman at a ceremony vowing to each other to unify their lives together. This is a social institution that has been engrained into us by society and what considered normal. In class we discussed the principles of this institution.
- Symbolic: rings, wedding photos, public commitment
- Social: joining of man and woman, socialised to aspire to marriage, reproduction of class, children,
- Cultural: families, idea of true love , monogamy, fulfilment
- Political: same sex debates
- Economic: weddings, white goods, real estate,
- Legal: contract, law bound, religious contract, tax implications
Looking at this from another perspective I found this article “Who needs marriage? A changing institution” this article by Time Magazine explores how the institution of marriage whilst has maintained over this year, it has also slightly adapted and changed. Things such as marrying class, and under specific circumstances have changed, it raises the question to men still ask the father for the daughters hand in marriage? To be honest I feel like this is a dying tradition. No longer is the traditional white wedding dress the only thing a woman can wear. Likewise this raises the debate of same sex marriage which is now legal in many states of the US. these traditional expectations are adapting to the society we live in. A stereotypical expectation was that it should be woman aspiration to get married and for men to find a wife and provide for his family. Whereas in todays society and with the feminist wave quickly approaching we are finding that woman are choosing not to marry or to marry later because they are more career oriented. Likewise marriage has changed in the fact that the main bread earner doesn’t necessarily have to be the man. It perhaps makes me think in another 10 years how much this institution will change and if its even considered as important.
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