From the Latin marito, “to marry,” marriage is the social institution making the sexual union of two heterosexuals (and recently in some societies, also of two homosexuals) official, accompanied by an (often religious) ritual. It is one of the most important areas of study in social anthropology, since it is a social event as widely
Same sex marriage refers to a union by two people of the same sex that is legally sanctioned by the state, where identical rights and responsibilities are afforded same sex and heterosexual married couples. The term ‘‘gay marriage’’ is popularly used to refer to same sex partner ships or cohabiting relationships that are formally registered
Dictionary definitions of marriage usually begin with something like ”the legal union of a man and a woman in order to live together and often to have children.” Even in such a simple and limited definition, some key elements and some potential complexities are highlighted. First, we are dealing with a definition referring to legal
As with ideas of community, public perceptions of family life highlight the extent to which change has been occurring. Usually the emphasis is on the “decline” of family values and family solidarities in comparison to some past, more stable and wholesome period. In most cases, these perceived changes are significantly exaggerated, with the past being
Women and men typically experience different rights and responsibilities in marriage, in spite of widespread beliefs in marital equality. These differences led sociologist Jesse Bernard (1972) to coin the phrase ”his and her marriages.” Gender-based patterns of inequalities in marriage have existed historically in the US and other western nations, though they have declined somewhat
With the aging of the population and increased life expectancy in western societies, there has been growing research interest in the period of late adulthood, which can span several decades. That life stage is characterized by three major events that can affect the individual as well as the marital unit: decline in health, retirement from
Interracial marriage is defined as a matrimonial union between members of two different races. It can be seen as a form of miscegenation (i.e., mixing of different races) or exogamy (i.e., a union outside of one’s social group), depending on whether race or culture is applied to the definition. Race is a term intended to
Marriage As An Institution The first recorded history of marriage as an institution was gleaned from the ancient civilizations. In “civilized” societies, women were considered property owned by men, first by their fathers and then by their husbands. Early Romans and Greeks often gave women to men as prizes for some heroic deed. Wives had
Common law marriage is a form of marriage that is recognized without legal and civil formalities such as a marriage license or a ceremony and includes all of the rights, privileges, and duties of formal marriage. This form of marriage was an important recognition of rights for early settlers in the United States, where access