Love is an involuntary feeling of intimacy and affection to towards another person. People feel love because they appreciate the personality traits and attributes of the other person (Living Together Formation and Dynamics of Intimate Relationships 1). Eventually, love may result into marriage after two individuals have an intimate relationship for a certain period of time.
Courtship refers to the duration that comes before a couple becomes engaged and eventually gets married. In most cases, courtship results from the mutual intimate feeling of love and affection towards each other. It also relates to mate selection. Most people court those individuals whom they feel they have a good personal and intimate connection with.
Arranged marriages are not very common in Western cultures. For instance, it is hard to find people who have entered into arranged marriages in the United States. The rate is also declining in societies that once cherished arranged marriages especially in East and South Asia. Free choice marriages have taken the lead. This is for the benefit of many people in society as marriages are bound to last longer and be fulfilling.
The cost of arranged marriages is that people may have to live with partners that they do not approve. This may lead to frequent cases of divorce. On the other hand, free choice marriages are bound to pair partners who are befitting. Such marriages are also free of external interference since it was the choice of the couple.
Authority patterns in families ensure that the structure of paternity remains intact. Husbands are the sole authority in the family while wives are supposed to give support and be submissive. This explains why women take the last name of the men who marry them. Women become part of the man’s family. In fact, some African communities believe that the man owns the woman.
An egalitarian family is one in which authority is equally divided between the husband and the wife. These families emphasize equity in power.
Religion
Religion refers to beliefs concerning the purpose and existence of the whole universe and its creations (Addison 2). Religion has portrayed itself in many forms ranging from Christianity, Islam and Hinduism.
Islam is popular in the Asian continent. The continent has the largest population in the world yet Asian Christians are only 10 percent of the entire population in the whole world. In a largely Islamic society, the spread of Christianity can be undermined by the radical nature of Islamic leadership.
Christianity ceased being a Jewish sect and became a religion on its own. As a result, its influence reached Turkey when Emperor Constantine made Christianity a popular religion. This was during the dominance of the Roman Empire at around 313 AD.
As time went by, Islam asserted its place in Turkey as more people became converted. The number of Christians in Turkish metropolitan areas like Istanbul has reduced significantly. This is because of Islamic revolutions in the country which have compelled some people to take to Islam even against their will. Turkish Christians are afraid of what lies in the future for them. Some even fear that legislation may be passed requiring them to comply with the doctrines of Islam. In fact, there was a time when there were messages passed across from the Pakistan public asserting their hatred for Christians. The effects were also felt in Turkey as many Christians shifted to Islam. They were afraid of the Islamic and Jewish conflict that may have arisen. Christians in Turkey are an endangered species.
Works Cited
Addison, Joseph. The Evidences of the Christian Religion. Printed at Boston: By J. Bumstead, for E. Larkin, Cornhill, 1795. Print.
Living Together. Formation and Dynamics of Intimate Relationships. N.p., 2012. Print.
