Previous year questions on marriage
1.examine the relationship between the contemporary trends in marriage and changing forms of family. 20M/2017.
2.examine the emerging trends in marriage and family as a response to the changes in economic and social order. 20M/2013.
3.discuss the emerging forms of marriage and family with example from the West and The east. Can there be family without marriage examine. 60M/2009.
4.elucidate changing structure of family and marriage in modern society.10M/2008
5.distinguish between: marriage as sacrament and marriage as contract. 10M/2012.
6.discuss the impact of legislation and socio economic changes on marriage and family institutions. 60M/2007.
7.discuss the influence of socio-cultural factors on age of marriage in india. 20M/2006
Marriage is an institution to satisfy physical, psychological, social, cultural and economic needs of men and women. The primary aim of marriage is the regulation of sexual activities through a stable relationship.
Changes occurring in the marriage pattern
1.changes in the forms of marriage :- thought in the traditional Hindu society, monogamy was the prime form of marriage but today love marriage, Runaway marriage and empty shell marriage etc, popular forms of marriage.
2.change in the aim and purpose of marriage :- early marriage were to perform the sacred duties and functions. Prime function was to become kins and protectors of the family but the aims and purpose have changed thier meaning from respect, faithfulness, sincerity to lessrespect , greed and unfaithfulness etc.
3.change in process of mate selection :- the marriage which were earlier held by middlemen are now replaced with matchmaking agencies and the advertisement by newspaper and various social networking sites - matrimonial sites.
4.change in the age at marriage :- the marriage system was heavily dependent on arranged marriage at an early age in the traditional societies of India. Due to various factors like technology and awareness among girls there is big change legally the age for girl marriage is 18 years and boys 21 years. Further due to arrival professional education hence marriage get delayed in 25-30 years.
5.change in stability of marriage ( increase in divorce rates. ) :- early marriage was stable. Fear of kinship system, strong social codes, never allowed married couples to break up marriage. Now due to legislatives, education technology advancement and more awareness changed stability in the institution of marriage.
6.change in field of selection ( increasing number of inter caste marriage ) :- early marrying a person belonging to some other caste or religion was not permitted by the families. But today conducted a study on inter-caste marriage in India and the data revealed that more than fifty percent parents expressed thier willingness to allow thier children marrying outside thier own caste.
7.change in economic aspects of marriage :- marriage is held in cities as a social or a civil ceremony than religious ceremony. Huge amount is spend on ceremony to make it a " grand gala" and spend lavishly for decorating marriage mantaps, arranging grand dinner, photography and marriage processions.
Factors responsible for changing patterns
1.social factors
- Rise of individualism - sense of systemness, work patterns become more differentiated reducing the necessity to interact with the community.
- Rise of specialization:- functionalist argue that how society becomes increasingly complex through structural differentiation and specialization. (High degree of specialization in society- education, health care ,recreational. Prior to industrialization family served this all function )
2.economic factors :-
- Increasing urbanization and development in education.
- Involvement of women in economic activities outside household.( Women have started "going out of the family " for work it lead self confidence band self-respect ).
- Affluence materialism - through technological improvements the living standards and real purchasing power of individuals.
3.indiviual factors :-
- Growing economic independence of women led to demands for more egalitarian family norms in the area of child rearing, decision making, finance and household task.
- Women self fulfillment - provide stimulation and feelings of worth from satisfactory personal achievements due to increasing urbanization, institutionalization of family roles, technological improvements in homecare products.
4.cultural factors:-
- More individual choice and decline of traditional values.
- Decline of stigma of cohabitation and secularization.
- Role of technology - social media, mobiles and television networking sites which make children away from family members but closer to outer world.
Types of marriage
1.Monogamy :- marriage in which a man or woman remains in marriage with only one man or woman at a time . He/she can remarry another in the circumstance of divorce or death of partner.
Straight Monogamy :- Straight monogamy is the type of monogamy, in which one man is married to one woman but in case of divorce or death of spouse, either of them cannot marry again.
Serial Monogamy :- Serial monogamy refers to a type of monogamy, whereby one man is married to one woman but in case of divorce or death of spouse, unlike straight monogamy either of them can get married again.
2.Polygamy :- here a man or woman is permitted to marry more than one woman or man and live with all partners at a same time. This permitted among muslims and some of the tribes.
polyandry :- one women marries two or more men.
polygyny :- one men marries two of more women.
3.Group Marriage:- Group marriage means the marriage of two or more women with two or more men. Here the husbands are common husbands and wives are common wives. Children are regarded as the children of the entire group as a whole( very rare )
Perspective and preferential rules
1.levirate marriage :- women marries one of her husband brother after her husband death, if there were no children. It's prevalent in todas of Nilgiri hills.
2.sororate marriage :- man married one of him wife younger sister after him wife death. It's prevalent in gond and baiga tribes.
3.cross cousin marriage :- this is a marriage of man with his maternal uncle daughter of paternal aunts daughter. It's prevalent among gonds tribe in Madhya Pradesh and kharia tribes in Jharkhand.
4.parallell cousin marriage :- it is the marriage between the children of either two brothers or two sisters . Preferred among muslims.
Prohibitive rules :- put restrictions on the selection of mates and is done according to religious norms and customs.
1.hypergamy or anuloma :- a boy of upper caste can marry girl of lower caste.
2.hypogamy or pratiloma :- a boy from lower caste was allowed to marry a girl from higher caste.
3.incest taboo :- implies sexual/ marital relationship between people who are related to each other by blood relation.
4.exogamy :- is a custom where people are asked to marry from outside the group he / she belongs. group can be caste, clan, tribe, family and village. )
5.endogamy :- is a custom where an individual is allowed to marry within specific group he/she belongs.
Emergence of new forms of marriage
1.shotgun marriage :- is a wedding which is arranged in order to avoid embarrassment due to premarital sex which can possibly lead to an unintended pregnancy.
2.same sex marriage :- A marriage that unifies two people of the same sex either legally or only symbolically
3.Empty-shell marriages :- are those in which husband and wife stay together in name only. There may no longer be any love or intimacy between them.
4.Run-away marriage :- when the girls run away with boys and marry them on their own choice. Highly prevelent in rural .
5.Contractual Marriage:- confers couples that can't or don't want to marry with the Orthodox religious rites required for government recognition legal status and rights as common-law spouses equal to married couples.Ex-Contractualization of marriages for Visa,etc.
6.inter-faith marriage :- is marriage between spouses professing different religions. ... In an interfaith marriage, each partner typically adheres to their own religion.
7.common law marriage :- two people enter an agreement of marriage Without formally licensing or recognising thier marriage.
8.mixed marriage :- interracial or people of two races Marry each other officially .
9.convenience marriage :- In this marriage people marry for financial and political reasons basically other than love.
10.left handed marriage :- left-handed marriage also called a morganatic marriage, is a union between two people of unequal social ranking.
11.DINKSyndrome (Double Income no kids):-
The term was coined in the 1980s at the height of “yuppie" culture. The post-2000 economic crisis have solidified this social trend as more couples wait longer to have kids, with one in five choosing not to have them at all. People don’t want to take responsibility of the kids and want to enjoy their life without any
tensions. They find the kids as the additional responsibility.
12.trial marriage :- couples chose to live together before they get married. They see if they can live together harmoniously.
Reason for a decline in marriage
1.changing role of women in society :-
- greater control over reproductive rights and increased medical technology means women can delay having children.
- Financial and social independence of women they look for right partner to satisfy thier needs.
- Career aspirations of women-rise in average age at which people first marry.
2.changing social attitudes
- Anthony Giddens ideas of confluent love and bauman's liquid love suggest people will opt for serial monogamy over long term relationship.
- Greater reflexivity and self improvement has led to more individualism, rather than romantic love.
- Alternative to marriage - such as cohabitation or living aprt together relationship as a response to changing attitudes to relationship.
3.rising divorce and insecurity of relationship.
- People delay marriage until they are certain that thier partner is the right person due to fear of divorce.
- Increased instability in relationship has led people to attempt to control the risks that they face in relationship.
- However divorce rate is declining and the number of remarriages increasing.
4.changes to social institutions.
- Process of secularization has led more people to see marriage as an outdated institutions and less stigma attached to alternatives to marriage.
- Family provieds less function than in previous generations Ex- institutionalization of child care.
marriage is still an important institution because.
1. Most households are still headed by a married couple
2. Couples may cohabit, but this is normally before getting married – they just get married later
3. Most people still think marriage is the ideal type of relationship
4. The fact that remarriages have increased show that people still value the institution of marriage.
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