Marriage as a Social Institution : Summary and Exercises
Marriage as a Social Institution
By -- Stephen L. Nock
A. Essay in Points :--
1. Marriage as a Social Institution
Marriage should not only a union of a man and a woman living together. It is more than a personal relationship.
Before starting to live together, they enter into marriage.
Marriage is an institution because it is governed by legal, cultural, social norms. The married couples can't break the boundaries of such norms. All such legalities, cultural and social norms give the 'marriage- institution' a structure and provide it a stability.
This point makes marriage different from other types of relationships, particularly from cohabitation.
2. Marriage and Cohabitation
Marriage is not the only way that men and women live together. There are many other alternative ways to do so. One of them is cohabitation (or, living together).
There are several differences between the two.
Marriage is an institution, and it is socially, culturally and legally patterned. Thus this institution is integrated (coordinated, unified)with other social institutions like education, economy, politics etc. In marriage, there are certain boundaries which the marriage partners are not allowed to break.
On the other hand, cohabitation is neither an institution, nor it has such boundaries. Cohabitation has no social or legal recognition.
It is free from all the rules of marriage.
Such unmarried partners living together have freedom to decide for themselves separately, such as, going on vacations together or separately or other economic decisions etc.
Such couples are not treated as marriage pairs, and they don't have any patterns to follow. They do not have any responsibility towards each other. They can't even hope or expect any help from any family member in the times of need.
3. Durkheim's Views : How Marriages Matter to Men
Emile Durkheim thinks that marriage provides a structure in men's lives, and organizes their ambitions.
She thinks that modern humans get more focused on things like comfort, luxury etc. , and blindly run after them. Running after such uncontrollable impulses and desires finally leads them to nowhere.
In such a situation marriage restrains (controls) such uncontrollable impulses, and in this way gives their (men's) lives a structure to follow.
4. Marriage as a Form of Capital
The essayist views marriage to be a capital. But this capital (marriage) is not something tangible like physical capitals. We can call them a social capital.
This social capital consists of a network of individuals linked by bonds of trust, faith mutual help and cooperation.
5. Six Dimensions of Normative Marriage
"Normative Marriage" is socially accepted standard of marriage within a particular culture or society. It means following the accepted rules and expectations for marriage in a specific society.
The six dimensions that define normative marriages in America are :
A. Marriages are entered voluntarily. It is a matter of person choice.
B. Only matured people will enter in marriage.
C. Marriages will take place only with heterosexual couples (that is, between a man and a woman).
D. Husbands will be principle earners.
E. Both partners will remain sexually faithful to each other.
F. Married people will be parents.
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Summary of the essay
This essay is about marriage, and is mostly talking about the differences between a traditional marriage and the modern trend of living together.
Marriage doesn't simply mean two spouses (husband and wife) living together, It is not just a man and a woman living together as husband and wife.
Rather marriage is an institution. It is a well established custom. Marriages should be typically legal, religious, social, economic, cultural and psychological. Marriages are socially, culturally and legally patterned, and it is integrated into other social institutions like education, economy, politics etc.
The married couples have to live within some boundaries regarding limits of behaviour and the spouses are supposed to behave within such limits . Such boundaries are known as soft boundaries.
But marriage is not the only way that married couples live together. There are several other ways too, that men and women live together without marrying, --- one of them is cohabitation.
[Cohabitation is the state of living together, and having a sexual relationship without being married.]
Unlike a marriage, cohabitation has freedom. Such unmarried partners have tremendous (too much) freedom from the rules of marriage. The cohabiting couples have no obligation for each other, and they are free to decide for themselves, for example, about dealing with each others' parents, about money, about savings or going on a tour etc. They don't have to follow any social or legal pattern.
In spite of such freedom, cohabiting has several disadvantages. First, they lack a social recognition. They don't even have a word for introducing their partners to others, as the married couples introduce their partners by saying "I would like you to meet my wife,(or, husband)".
Further, there is no such obligation in such a pair, and they have no-one to depend on (to help them) in time of needs. Such conventions are not governed by any conventions.
In short we may say that such a relationship is not a relationship.
Like any other resource, marriage is a capital. Although unlike any other capital, 'marriage' capital is not tangible (real, concrete, which can be seen or touched). It exists in the relations among among persons, linked by bonds of trustworthiness and trust.
With marriage both spouses become connected to the kins (family or relations) of each other, and this relationship ties are made stronger by mutual trustworthiness , conventions, social norms, sanctions ( honors, status etc.), and the married spouses depend on this enriched capital in the times of need.
In short, the institution of marriage is an individual asset. This asset (marriage) is more difficult to sustain (support physically or mentally), because it exists as relationship with others. To sustain a marriage, one has to be careful about keeping relationship well.
The institution of marriage lives within soft boundaries, and this makes it different from all others forms of relationship.
Th six dimensions of normative marriage shows how marriages are regulated in a society. They are :
Exercises
Before Reading
Answer the following questions :
a. What type of marriages are in practice in your culture ?
Answer : There are several marriage practices in our culture. But mostly, normative arranged marriages take place. Here parents typically choose their children's spouses.
But in the recent years youths are more inclined to love marriages instead of an arranged marriage. At the same time, the number of court marriages has also increased.
b. Do you think marriages are different from culture to culture?
Answer : Yes, marriages are different from culture to culture. The differences are related to who can marry, the vows, the ceremony practices and rituals, dresses, dowry practices and many more.
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Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
a. According to the author, what is marriage ?
Answer : Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman which is defined by legal, moral and conventional assumptions.
b. How is marriage an institution ?
Answer : Marriage is an institution because it follows established laws, practices, norms and traditions which are important for society. Marriage is socially and culturally patterned, and is integrated into other basic social institutions such as education, politics etc. It has certain rules and norms, and nobody should cross such limits.
c. What are the rules that a marriage has ?
Answer : Marriage rules are related to give stability to wedding. They influence the relationship of the partners in many ways.
Things like mutual obligation and solidarity and and sexual fidelity, commitment to extend family by becoming parents are some examples marriage rules. Such rules create a soft boundary.
d. Why does marriage matter to men ?
Answer : Marriages matter to men because it provides structure to their lives and organizes their ambitions. It helps them control their undesirable impulses, and decide what is right, and follow the right path.
e. What is one of the central problems in modern society ?
Answer : One of the central problems in modern society is to limit desires like wants, desires, comfort, luxury etc.
f. What does social capital consist of ?
Answer : Social capital consists of a network of individuals linked by bonds of trust, faith, help, and a mutual co operation.
g. What is normative marriage? Explain.
Answer : A normative marriage means following the accepted rules, norms, values and expectations within a particular society.
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Reference to the Context
Answer the following questions :
a. Discuss six dimensions that define normative marriage in America.
Answer : Normative marriage means following accepted rules and expectations for marriage in a specific society.
Answer : Traditions, rituals, ceremonies, values etc. of two different cultures can never be similar. I am from India, and belong to a Hindu family.
My culture and the American culture are wide apart. Naturally, like other traditions and values, wedding traditions of my and the American culture are also quite different.
It is just impossible to point out all the differences here, so I shall present here only some aspects regarding such differences. Here I shall present little differences related to values, dress code, rituals etc.
In Hindu culture marriage is considered a sacred bond that becomes an unbreakable which continues even after death. We call it 'a bond of seven births'. But in American culture there is no such value of 'seven birth bond'.
Most weddings in the US are religious (or, civil). They are based on tradition. In such marriages weddings take place in the churches. Besides, there are several other ways and venues of conducting marriages. On the other side, (mostly) Hindu marriages are performed before a sacred fire which is supposed to be a witness of the wedlock.
But with the passage of time court-marriages are getting popular.
Now about dress code. In most Christian traditional marriages bride wears a white dress. White is the symbol of her purity and her readiness to start a blessed union with the groom.
On the other hand, a Hindu bride will never ever wear a white dress on her wedding. Symbolically, it is a mourning dress. In Hindu culture brides wear a red sari.
In both wedding traditions 'vows' are there -- but with a difference.
Further, in Hindu a wedding there is a concept that their bond as wife and husband will extend for seven life time.
Among all the differences some interesting similarities are there. In both, we find a 'best man' or a 'groomsman'. In both the cultures, there some pre-wedding ceremonies. In both the cultures, some one has to give the bride away to the groom during the wedding.
In both the American and Indian cultures, as well as in all the cultures of the world, wedding is a matter of great rejoicing and delight.
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Question : 1. Write an essay on the marriage practice in your culture.
Answer:
Marriage Practices in Hindu Culture
Marriages are universal. Weddings take place in every culture and religion across the world. But wedding traditions and practices traditions are different from culture to culture even within a country.
Although in recent times love marriages are getting popularity among younger generation, arranged marriages are still predominant in India.
Although marriages in Hindu culture differ from place to place, everywhere they are celebrated with extreme rejoicing (a great joy), music, dance, outfits (sets of clothes) and rituals.
Such rituals depend upon community, region of the country, local adaptations, resources etc.
Here are some rituals that we find in a Hindu marriage.
There are some pre-wedding rituals. They are Sangeet, Mehndi, Haldi etc. These are performed before the wedding procession starts.
a. Kanya Dan : Here 'Kanya' means 'Daughter', and 'Dan' means ''giving away'. This ceremony is performed by the bride's father. He takes the bride's (right) hand and places it in the groom's hand.
This ceremony literally signifies the bride's transition from the father's home to her new life with her husband.
b. Pani Grahana : This rituals comes after 'Kanyadan'. Here 'Pani' means 'hand', and 'Grahana' means 'taking, or accepting'. If "Kanyadan' is 'giving away' of daughter to the groom, 'Pani Grahana' is accepting the bride as his wife.
(Pani Grahan)
It is a symbol of the couple's new life and the importance of love, respect, and commitment in a Hindu marriage.
c. Saptapadi (Seven steps) : In this ritual, the bride and the groom take seven steps together around a sacred fire. With each step they make seven promises to each other.
It symbolizes a connections with the divine, and also a witness to the promises made by the newly wedded couples.
Such are only some of the important rituals of a Hindu marriage.
Question : b. Is marriage a social institution ? Discuss.
Answer : Yes, marriage is a social institution. It is universal and is found in every society in this form or that.
It is governed by legal, cultural, social norms, obligations, and the married couples can't break the boundaries. As a social institution marriage integrates with other social institutions like politics, education etc.
(Image Courtesy: Google Photos)
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