Arranged marriage
55% of the world's marriages are arranged, but is it right?
An Introduction to Arranged Marriage
Arranged Marriage has been around for thousands of years - it has been practiced in many countries by many people around the world, of all cultures and religions. It has become an ethical issue as to whether or not the practice of arranged marriage should be allowed and is a highly controversial matter with many people believing that it is an unnatural process, but many others thinking it is simply a harmless push for people to move onto the next stage of their lives. There is a huge difference between forced marriages and arranged marriages- forced marriage is when a person is threatened or blackmailed (physically or verbally) into marrying someone and is non-consensual, where as arranged marriages are when the parents of a man or woman arrange a partner for their child, and the child is willing to do doing so. We will be exploring the different opinions on arranged marriage, from the point of view of different religions, and the four main ethical laws.
Is it legal?
Currently, arranged marriage is LEGAL in every country around the world, however complete consent from both participants is necessary. Forced marriage however, is illegal in England Scotland and Wales. If a British national is forced to marry within Great Britain or abroad it is an offence under domestic law, and the offender could go to jail for up to seven years. Forced marriage is still a very common thing in South Asia, South America and parts of Africa but it still occurs worldwide.
Why do people do it?
Although arranged marriage is legal, there could be an element of being forced emotionally, as opposed to physical or verbal threats. People may feel pressured- Sue from Central Manchester Women's Aid said being made to marry someone doesn't have to be abuse or blackmail, and that "You know from a young age whether you can say yes or no to your parents." People may not be willing to marry, but on the day of the ceremony when time and money has been invested into it, they find it difficult to say no. People may feel pressured into marriage on a personal level- they could feel they must preserve their family's wealth/reputation. This feeling could have been fed to the victim by their parents who may have made the victim think they were being selfish by bringing shame to the family. Despite all of this, there are many positive points to why people have arranged marriages. People often have problems regarding whether their parents like their partner, but with arranged marriages one's parents pick for them meaning one is unlikely to have problems with them not getting along. Also, if someone really disliked the person they were going to marry they would not have to carry through with it- that would be forced marriage. Aside from this, some people have trouble finding someone they are compatible with, and because parents generally know their children very well, they could help find someone their child would like. Parents could see this as helping their child progress to the next stage of their life.
Arranged Marriage has been around for thousands of years - it has been practiced in many countries by many people around the world, of all cultures and religions. It has become an ethical issue as to whether or not the practice of arranged marriage should be allowed and is a highly controversial matter with many people believing that it is an unnatural process, but many others thinking it is simply a harmless push for people to move onto the next stage of their lives. There is a huge difference between forced marriages and arranged marriages- forced marriage is when a person is threatened or blackmailed (physically or verbally) into marrying someone and is non-consensual, where as arranged marriages are when the parents of a man or woman arrange a partner for their child, and the child is willing to do doing so. We will be exploring the different opinions on arranged marriage, from the point of view of different religions, and the four main ethical laws.
Is it legal?
Currently, arranged marriage is LEGAL in every country around the world, however complete consent from both participants is necessary. Forced marriage however, is illegal in England Scotland and Wales. If a British national is forced to marry within Great Britain or abroad it is an offence under domestic law, and the offender could go to jail for up to seven years. Forced marriage is still a very common thing in South Asia, South America and parts of Africa but it still occurs worldwide.
Why do people do it?
Although arranged marriage is legal, there could be an element of being forced emotionally, as opposed to physical or verbal threats. People may feel pressured- Sue from Central Manchester Women's Aid said being made to marry someone doesn't have to be abuse or blackmail, and that "You know from a young age whether you can say yes or no to your parents." People may not be willing to marry, but on the day of the ceremony when time and money has been invested into it, they find it difficult to say no. People may feel pressured into marriage on a personal level- they could feel they must preserve their family's wealth/reputation. This feeling could have been fed to the victim by their parents who may have made the victim think they were being selfish by bringing shame to the family. Despite all of this, there are many positive points to why people have arranged marriages. People often have problems regarding whether their parents like their partner, but with arranged marriages one's parents pick for them meaning one is unlikely to have problems with them not getting along. Also, if someone really disliked the person they were going to marry they would not have to carry through with it- that would be forced marriage. Aside from this, some people have trouble finding someone they are compatible with, and because parents generally know their children very well, they could help find someone their child would like. Parents could see this as helping their child progress to the next stage of their life.