Introduction
Arranged marriage is a marriage where families or parents choose marital partners for their children. Asia, Africa and India are considered to be areas where arranged marriage is a cultural norm, while Western part of the world is characterized by non-arranged marriages. Thus, two types of marriages co-exist in the modern world.
Arranged marriages may be extremely significant in South Asia because their prevalence results in decrease of divorce rates. Nevertheless, modern attitude to gender roles makes changes in society, for example in 2013 Kunz wrote that "a recent report indicated that divorce rates in India are soaring among the middle classes as working women of independent means refuse to submit to arranged marriages." (Kunz, 2013) Analyzing the countries which practice arranged marriages it is possible to distinguish significant variations in the procedure itself and role which spouses would play. For example, India is the region where arranged marriages are strictly predicted and account about 90% of all marriages. "China, stands in a good middle ground of “tradition of arranged marriage and the irresistible rise of consumer choice, even in the area of personal relationships" (Yu Ji, 2010). "In arranged marriages in Sri Lanka, for instance, men and women who like one another usually let their parents know their choices well in advance via indirect social channels" (Fletcher et al., 2015).
In contrast to traditions common in Western societies where physical attraction plays a great role in choosing a partner, the most important factors of arranged marriages are: values, family reputation, wealth, profession, religion and hereditary diseases. In most cases, people's attitude to arranged marriages depends on their cultural belonging and religious convictions; objectively, it is possible to find out both advantages and disadvantages of arranged marriages.
Pros of Arranged Marriages
According to Allendorf (2012), spouse choice is a significant factor which determines marital quality. Though there is a widespread opinion that existence of long-term relationships and independent choice of a partner result in better marital quality, indeed, arranged marriages may benefit from family's support and approval which make spouses feel satisfied and happy. Studies conducted in order to establish the links between souse choice and marital quality did not reflect significant statistical differences. It was found that many arranged marriages increase level of marital quality in the course of time. Thus, it was suggested that "the effect of marital duration on marital quality differs between arranged and self-selected marriages" (Allendorf, 2012).
It is considered that arranged marriages are associated with financial stability and securities because usually parents and older relatives of spouses try to foresee economic situation within a family beforehand. Permanent interaction between members of both families and common beliefs they share also result in better inter-family relationships.
Cons of Arranged Marriages
At the same time, arranged marriages are notable for low levels of different types of communication which have influence on verbal, non-verbal and sexual interrelations and marital satisfaction. Sometimes families face with hard situations during looking for the right partner. Though child's wishes should be taken into account when making a decision it happens that family exert too much pressure upon future spouses.
One of the most significant disadvantages of arranged marriages is the dowry system, but it exists not in all families and cultures; for example in India the bride's families still pay large amounts of money and other riches to the groom's family. Some families suffer from financial obstacles and cannot afford themselves follow the tradition therefore preventing girls from marriage. It is a significant issue widely discussed in modern society and viewed as a social evil.
Close relationships between members of both families which has positive effects on life of the married couple also has the other side: spouses can feel lack of privacy in their interrelations and be interfered by their relatives. Parents feel responsible for well-being of their children and show excessive intervention in their private life because in cases of unsuccessful and unhappy marriages children would blame their families. It is known that attitude to marriage in modern society causes numerous conflicts between different generations. Sometimes such conflicts end peacefully but unfortunately, they also can lead to difficulties in communication and even more severe psychological consequences which require professional help.
Personal Viewpoint
Many people support arranged marriages because they try to accommodate to parents' wishes and pay tribute to traditions. Arranged marriages are often mistakenly confused with forced marriages; in fact, they are organized by parents and are based on their values, the bride and groom are not concussed into marriage. Traditionally, parents take into consideration wishes of their children and do not force them because they are responsible and concerned with son's or daughter's happiness. Generally, it is difficult to provide single explanation of arranged marriages due to variations within different cultures and religions.
Conclusion
Arranged marriages were widespread around the world several centuries ago and nowadays they stay a significant part of many cultures and religions. The given paper has shown that there are many assumptions, prejudice and confusion concerning people's attitude towards spouse choice and its influence on well-being of a couple. Low divorce rates among arranged marriages prove that couples who build their relationships basing on most preferable characteristics sometimes are even more successful than those based on physical attraction and passionate emotions.
References
Allendorf, K. (2012). Determinants of Marital Quality in an Arranged Marriage Society. Soc Sci Res 42(1): 59–70. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2012.09.002
Fletcher, G., Simpson, J., Campbell, L., & Overall, N. (2015). Pairbonding, romantic love, and evolution: the curious case of Homo sapiens. Perspective on Psychological
Science, 10(1), 2036. doi:10.1177/1745691614561683
Ji, Yu. (2010). The Gate to Marriage: Benefits and Detriments of Arranged Marriage. Issue 4: Religion and Culture. Retrieved from https://artifactsjournal.missouri.edu/2010/01/the-gate-to-marriage-benefits-and-detriments-of-arranged-marriage-in-firoozeh-dumas/
Kunz, J. (2013) THINK marriages and families (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
