Introduction To Sociology by Henry L. Tischler

Author:Henry L. Tischler
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Cengage Learning
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

● DEFINING MARRIAGE

When college students from 10 countries were

asked whether they would marry without love, 86% of

Marriage, an institution found in all societies, is the

American college students said they would not. Only

socially recognized, legitimized, and supported union of

24% of college students from India said no to marriage

individuals of opposite sexes. It diff ers from other unions

without love. Cultures are likely to indulge in romantic

(such as friendships) in that (1) it is initiated in a pub-

love if they are wealthy and value individualism over the

lic (and usually formal) manner; (2) it includes sexual

community (Levine, 1993).

intercourse as an explicit element of the relationship; (3)

Romantic love can be defi ned in terms of fi ve dimen-

it provides the essential condition for legitimizing off -

sions: (1) idealization of the loved one, (2) the notion of

spring (i.e., it provides newborns with socially accepted

a one and only, (3) love at fi rst sight, (4) love winning

statuses); and (4) it is intended to be a stable and endur-

out over all, and (5) an indulgence of personal emotions

ing relationship. Th

us, although almost all societies allow

(Lantz, 1982).

for divorce—that is, the breakup of marriage—no soci-

In some cultures, people expect love to develop after

ety endorses it as an ideal norm. Sociologists will need

marriage. Hindu children are taught that marital love is

to revise the defi nition of marriage now that a number of

the essence of life. Men and women often enter married

European countries and several states in America have

life enthusiastically expecting a romance to develop. As

legalized same sex marriages

the Hindu saying goes, “First we marry, then we fall in

love” (Fisher, 1992).

Romantic Love

In many of the world’s other societies, romantic love

What would you think of someone who used the follow-

is unknown or seen as a strange maladjustment. It might

ing proposal of marriage?

exist, but it has nothing to do with marriage. Marriage

in these societies is seen as an institution that organizes

It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy of your

or patterns the establishment of economic, social, and

acceptance, or that the establishment I can off er would

even political relationships among families. Th

ree fami-

be any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my

lies ultimately are involved: families of origin or fami-

connections with the family, and my relationship to your

lies of orientation, the two families that produced the

own, are circumstances highly in my favor; and you should

two spouses and their family of procreation, the family

take it into further consideration, that in spite of manifold

created by the spouses’ union.

attractions, it is by no means certain that another off er of

A belief in romantic love helps make men and women

marriage may even be made to you.

more independent of their relatives. Romantic love

Th

is proposal, which would very likely produce out-

weakens the emotional ties that bind people to their

rage and be rejected by many women today, was made

families. It makes it natural for partners to be commit-

by Mr. Collins to Elizabeth in Jane Austen’s novel, Pride

ted to each other and provide mutual support. Romantic

and Prejudice (Austen, 1813). In addition to seeming

love provides a legitimate way to move

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.