"An Arranged Marriage refers to a situation in which marriage partners are
             chosen primarily by someone other than the partners themselves. These other persons are
             usually parents, but they may also be other kin, a matchmaker, or an agency. Because the
             marriage partners may or may not be consulted, this situation implies a strong sense of
             family loyalty." (Patricia Uberoi, p.15)
             An arranged marriage is a type of mate selection in which the individual getting married
             has little or no choice in selecting a spouse because family members-usually parents-
             are more influential in the process.
             In sociology, arranged marriages are viewed and studied as a particular form of mate
             selection. Arranged Marriages add to the understanding of the functions of marriage,
             types of social authority, and the nature of the families living in traditional societies.
             However, arranged marriages are considered by North American standards, to
             be unacceptable in principle when compared to choices available based on romantic love.
             But arranged marriages are certainly not rare, as a large percentage of the worlds
             population engages in this practice. Nonetheless, the concept of arranged marriage is
             viewed differently by different people.
             In the Middle Ages, the kinship unit was very important in the transmission of
             property and the protection of the individual and the family. The bride and the groom
             were the least important unit in forming of a marriage because parents, other kin, the
             church, and the community all played major roles. Accordingly, marriages could be
             contracted in order to implement an alliance between feuding families.
             Not only would this practice continue to enhance the value of the kinship group, but also
             it would help keep the tradition of endogamy (a societal expectation that individuals
             should marry partners very much like themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, and class...