Anthropology
In our North American culture, marriage is assumed to be based on two people making the decision to live together forever because they are in love. If a marriage in American fails, the two individuals simply move on with their lives and the divorce is accepted by their family as well as society. Not all cultures, such as those of India, regard marriage in such a casual way however and in those cultures marriages are truly expected to last forever. The different attitudes with which Americans and Indians regard marriage have an effect on the final stability of the union; because the Indians devote a great amount of time and effort into finding a good match, the marriage lasts longer even though "true love" may not be a factor in the decision. In India, where parents arrange marriages for their sons and daughters, divorce is not only uncommon, it is also not accepted by society. Because such emphasis is placed on a strong lasting marriage, the parent's choice of a spouse for their child is thought through viewing every aspec
American's have taken some of the importance and meaning out of being married. As with most things in life, when marriage is approached with an attitude of extreme importance and more effort is applied to it, the outcome is bound to be good. IF the family has a poor reputation it is not a good match because the two families will be joined together through marriage and share the same reputation. In America, often times marriages are rushed into by the couple who believe they are truly in love and wish to spend their lives together. Even though the married couple may not know one another at the time of the marriage, the believe that they will have the rest of their lives to get to know each other and fall in love. The parents do allow for their children to have some opinion in which they marry in that they will not force a marriage upon a child who refuses a prospective match. In the United States however, the process leading to marriage is much more laid back and generally the interests of only the couple being married are taken into consideration. Because of all the considerations that go into arranging a marriage and the fact that parents want to best spouse possible for their children, the arranged marriages tend to be very successful. Due to the fact that Indians base so much value on family, the search for a good match goes beyond he person their child will potentially marry and focuses greatly on that family's reputation and social class as well. " When the difference between the Indian and North American culture's attitudes towards marriage and the steps leading to it are compared, it is easy to understand why the arranged marriages in India tend to last longer. When hasty or self-involved decisions are made however, the result is likely to be less positive and often times end in divorce. When examined closely, it is not surprising that so many marriages are unhappy or ultimately end in divorce. Today marriage is often times seen as "the next step" in an on going relationship and a step that can always be erased by divorce if it is decided that getting married was a "mistake.
Common topics in this essay:
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North American,
Americans Indians,
North America,
arranged marriages,
regard marriage,
north american,
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Acceptance Essays
