Arranged Marriage

They meet in an atmosphere that they are accustomed to, or that they want to be in. The husband is generally chivalrous and courtship begins after the marriage. If the communication between the couple is lacking, the love match will result in unstable relationships. Caste divisions that plague Hindu societies are only promoted by such a marriage proposal. In an absolute love marriage the couples do not necessarily get introduced by their parents. When the love is strong enough, these proposals move toward a formal engagement even if the parents of both or either side do not approve. In cultures where arranged marriages are commonplace, the role of the female is a subordinate to the male.

The arranged marriage tends to be patriarchal in power structure: the wife is vested with the responsibilities of children and home, for the husband is responsible for providing and protecting.

A match made out of love does not need necessarily need to involve a man and a woman from the same caste or class. They meet locally as childhood playmates, adult neighbors, and roomates; and by chance in public places such as libraries, malls, bars. It surprises them because they thought they knew their partner. If the parents do not initiate a marriage proposal for their son or daughter, then it is more likely that this man or woman will benefit from a love-based marriage. This is made possible because there is less of a distinct division but rather a more mutual sharing of responsibilities. Young widowed women without children are cursed to be a burden to their parents for the rest of their lives. If the parents like each other and if the man and girl are attracted to one another or at least if the man likes the girl, the parents will finalize the dates for engagement and for marriage.