Marriage as a Social Institution
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| Stephen L. Nock |
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About the author
· Stephen L. Nock (March 11, 1950 – January 26, 2008) is a researcher, author, and the Commonwealth professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia
· Wrote extensively on the role of marriage in society
· Worked in the Federal Department of Health and Human Services as a consultant on American family policy
· Investigated issues of privacy, unmarried fatherhood, cohabitation, commitment, divorce and marriage
Central idea of the essay
· The essay examines the national marriage debate by reviewing the social and demographic trends that have changed the role of marriage and family. The author views that marriage and parenthood are private matters, relevant only to the individual directly involved.
· The author points out the programs that have strengthened marital relationships, lowered divorce rates, reduced out-of-wedlock births (births occurred outside of marriage or children whose parents are not married) and encouraged responsible fatherhood.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. According to the author, what is marriage?
According to the author, marriage is a relationship defined by legal, moral and conventional assumptions. It is much more than the sum of two spouses.
b. How is marriage an institution?
Marriage is an institution as it is culturally patterned and integrated into other basic social institutions, such as education, the economy and politics.
c. What are the rules that a marriage has?
Marriage has rules that originate outside any particular union of two spouses and they establish soft boundaries around the relationship that influence the patterns in many ways. The rules of marriage arrange the relationship of spouses and set commonly understood allowable limits of behaviour that distinguish marriage from all other kinds of relationships.
d. Why does marriage matter to men?
Marriage matters to men because it provides structure to their lives and organizes their ambitions. This argument was suggested a century ago by Emile Durkheim who demonstrated the protective role of marriage in preventing suicide. What Durkheim believes is marriage benefits men.
e. What is one of the central problems in modern society?
One of the central problems in modern society is establishing legitimate boundaries among modern humans around the desires of well-being, comfort, luxury and prestige.
f. What does social capital consist of?
Social capital consists of extensive network of individuals linked by bonds of trustworthiness and trust. Marriage is a form of “capital” just as surely as any other resource. Social capital is less tangible for it exists in the relations among persons.
g. What is normative marriage? Explain.
Normative marriage is a form of social control, a way by which behaviours and aspirations are channeled appropriately. The six dimensions (i.e., marriages entered voluntarily by mature, heterosexual adults with the expectation that husbands will be the principal earners, partners will be sexually faithful and the partners will become parents) constitute the core of normative marriage as it is expressed in law, religion and custom. It represents the collective sentiments of others.
Reference to the context
a. Discuss six dimensions that define normative marriage in America.
Six dimensions that define normative marriage in America are:
· Marriages are entered voluntarily: marriages are not mandatory. Either to get married or not depends on the persons concerned. Force marriages are not preferred. Marriage is their private matters.
· They are entered only by mature: Only matured ones entered the married life. Those who want to get married must reach minimum age as recognized by the law.
· Heterosexual adults: Heterosexual relationship is considered common and natural.
· The expectation that husbands will be the principal earners: Husbands are expected to be responsible for earnings to run the family.
· Faithful sexual partners: infidelity is considered offensive in normative marriage.
· Married partners will become parents: one of the ultimate of goals of getting married is to produce children.
b. Do marriages differ according to culture? How is practice different from in America?
Yes, marriages differ according to culture. Even within the same geographical location, marriages differ if it is a multi-racial or multicultural society. Marriage is a cultural practice which identifies a particular ethnic group, tribe or race. Marriage is itself a major element of culture. It is deeply related to married couple’s history, origin, ethnicity and ancestral practice. Thus, it is merely a ritual.
Despite the difference in the manner, method or the way of getting married, the purpose is almost all the same. People get married for the arranged life that gives some sort of sense of security and to continue their linage. Matured adults are expected to start a married life. In some culture, pre-matured marriage has become a tradition and thus, must be regulated by law and has been done so.
Marriage practice in Nepal is different from that is in America in many ways. Differences are observed in terms of geographical location and culture. Nepalese marriage system is highly influenced by Hindu, Kirat and Buddha religion whereas American marriage system is influenced by Christianity. There is growing influence of Christianity in Nepalese culture too. Some get married in religious places like temple and Gumba. Mostly, marriages in Nepal take place in party palaces in urban area and the house of their own in the rural area. But the way they perform rituals within a particular ethnic group is similar irrespective of the places and geographical location. Differences are observed only in terms of cultural diversity.
For Christianity, Church is the most sacred place. Being a diverse country, the ways a couple get married are many and varied in America. No single norm defines appropriately marriage system there. Wedding tradition vary according to the couples’ origin, religion, ethnicity, culture, lifestyle and preference. But the six dimensions of normative marriage in America seem to be similar to practices in Nepalese marriage system regarding the norms and values and the purpose.
Reference beyond the text
a. Write an essay on the marriage practice in your own culture.
Explain the marriage practice as it is observed in your own culture. Just keep in mind that an essay has three main parts:
· Introduction: introduce what marriage is and how it is perceived in your culture. Make this part as brief as possible and it should be a attention grabber; catchy
· Body: give details; examples and explanations, strengths and weakness; obligations and rituals to be performed; your opinion about the tradition regarding marriage practice in your culture; what to be preserved and what to be modified
· Conclusion: summarize the ideas expressed above
b. Is marriage a social institution? Discuss.
Yes, marriage is a social institution because it is culturally patterned and integrated into other basic social institutions such as education, the economy and politics. Social institutions are organized patterns of beliefs and behaviour that are centred on basic social needs. It is an interrelated system of social rules and norms and values organized around the satisfaction of an important social function. The obvious elements of social institutions are a group of people united by common interest and norms and material resource that fulfill some social need.
Marriage is a social institution since it has some specified norms and values. The rules, behaviour and belief regarding marriage fulfill important social functions. The social norms that define the institution of marriage identify married spouses in ways that distinguish them from others. Married couples have something that other couples lack. They are heirs to a vast system of understood principles that help organize and sustain their lives.
