Marriage is a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized interpersonal relationship, usually intimate and sexual, and often created as a contract.^[1] The most frequently occurring form of marriage unites a man and a woman as husband and wife.^[2][3] Other forms of marriage also exist; for example, polygamy, in which a person takes more than one spouse, is common in many societies.^[4] Beginning in 2001, the legal concept of marriage has been expanded to include same-sex marriage in some jurisdictions.^[5] A government is a body that has the authority to make and the power to enforce laws within a civil, corporate, religious, academic, or other organization or group. ... // The Unobservable Although the term social is a crucial category in social science and often used in public discourse, its meaning is often vague, suggesting that it is a fuzzy concept. ... Various Religious symbols, including (first row) Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Bahai, (second row) Islamic, tribal, Taoist, Shinto (third row) Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, (fourth row) Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess, Maltese cross, pre-Christian Slavonic Religion is the adherence to codified beliefs and rituals that generally involve a faith in a spiritual... Interpersonal relationships are social associations, connections, or affiliations between two or more people. ... Definition Intimacy is complex in that its meaning varies from relationship to relationship, and within a given relationship over time. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A contract is a legally binding exchange of promises or agreement between parties. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with marriage. ... The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology and sociology. ... Same-sex marriage is a term for a legally, socially and/or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ...

The reasons people marry vary widely, but usually include one or more of the following: the public declaration of love; the formation of a family unit; legitimizing sexual relations and procreation; legal, social and economic stability; and the education and nurturing of children.^[6][7] A family in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1997 A family consists of a domestic group of people (or a number of domestic groups), typically affiliated by birth or marriage, or by analogous or comparable relationships — including domestic partnership, cohabitation, adoption, surname and (in some cases) ownership (as occurred in the... Sexual behavior is a form of physical intimacy that may be directed to reproduction (one possible goal of sexual intercourse) and/or to the enjoyment of activity involving sexual gratification. ... Reproduction is the creation of one thing as a copy of, product of, or replacement for a similar thing, e. ...

A marriage can be declared by a wedding ceremony,^[8] which may be performed either by a religious officiator or through a similar government-sanctioned secular officiator. The act of marriage often creates obligations between the individuals involved, and in many societies, their extended families ^{[citation needed]}. Marriages are perpetual agreements with legal consequences, terminated only by the death of one party or by formal dissolution processes such as divorce and annulment. Nubian wedding with some international modern touches, near Aswan, Egypt Preparing for the photographs, at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, England A traditional Japanese wedding ceremony A wedding is a ceremony which celebrates the beginning of a marriage. ... Part of the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard in Whitehall, London. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ... Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. ...

Western definitions throughout history

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A medieval woodcut of a marriage from Holland

Marriage of some kind is found in virtually every society. Except in societies where post-marital residence is traditionally matrilocal, patrilocal, or avunculocal, married people typically form a household, which is most often subsequently extended biologically, through children. Among Western cultures, the nuclear family emerged during the late medieval period.^[9] Most non-Western societies have a broader definition of family that includes an extended family network. One universal and unique attribute of marriage is the creation of affinal ties (in-laws). ^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... This Manual of Style has the simple purpose of making things easy to read by following a consistent format — it is a style guide. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1129x1350, 137 KB) Wye reymont vnd melusina zuamen wurdent geleit / Vnd vom bischoff gesesenet wurdent in dem bett (Holzschnitt aus der Schönen Melusine / XV. Jahrhundert) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1129x1350, 137 KB) Wye reymont vnd melusina zuamen wurdent geleit / Vnd vom bischoff gesesenet wurdent in dem bett (Holzschnitt aus der Schönen Melusine / XV. Jahrhundert) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on... Matrilocality is a term used in social anthropology. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Patrilocality. ... Kinship terminology refers to the words used in a specific culture to describe a specific system of familial relationships. ... Children redirects here. ... The term nuclear family was developed in the western world to distinguish the family group consisting of parents (usually a father and mother) and their children, from what is known as an extended family. ... In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity, as distinguished from consanguinity, is kinship by marriage. ...

Marriage remains important as the bond that socially sanctions a sexual relationship. Children born outside of marriage have been legally known as illegitimate, or bastards. This has also applied to children who were born inside a marriage which was then annulled; the two daughters of Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I, were declared illegitimate after their father annulled the marriages that they had been born into. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... [[]] Look up Bastard in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... There have been three monarchs named Mary I: Mary I of England a. ... Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603 ) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. ...

In Catholicism, the Council of Trent made the validity of marriage dependent upon its being performed before a priest and two witnesses. The Council also authorized a Catechism, issued in 1566, which defined marriage as, "The conjugal union of man and woman, contracted between two qualified persons, which obliges them to live together throughout life."^[10] The Council of Trent is the Nineteenth Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Historically, many societies have allowed some form of polygamy. Europe, the United States, and Canada have, for the most part, defined themselves as monogamous cultures. This partially stemmed from Germanic cultural traditions, Christianity, and the mandate of Roman Law. However, Roman Law permitted prostitution, concubinage, and sexual access to slaves. The Christian West formally banned these practices with laws against adultery, fornication, and other relationships outside a monogamous, lifelong covenant. after that the groom then picks the bride up and carries her to the car Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome. ... Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse. ... Look up Fornication in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Recognition

A justice of the peace presides over a civil marriage ceremony by a lake in Connecticut.

The participants in a marriage usually seek social recognition for their relationship, and many societies require official approval of a religious or civil body. Image File history File linksMetadata Jpmullins. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Jpmullins. ... A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a puisne judicial officer appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ...

In the Protestant tradition, Calvin and his colleagues reformulated marriage through enactment of The Marriage Ordinance of Geneva, imposing, "The dual requirements of state registration and church consecration to constitute marriage."^[11]

In England and Wales, it was Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act that first required formal ceremony of marriage, thereby curtailing the practice of Fleet Marriage. For other marriage-related legislation, see Marriage Act In England and Wales, the Marriage Act 1753, also called Lord Hardwickes Marriage Act (citation 26 Geo. ... A Fleet Marriage is the best-known example of an irregular or a clandestine marriage taking place in England before 1753. ...

In many jurisdictions, the civil marriage ceremony may take place during the religious marriage ceremony, although they are theoretically distinct. In most American states, the marriage may be officiated by a priest, minister, rabbi or other religious authority, and in such a case the religious authority acts simultaneously as an agent of the state. In some countries, such as France, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Argentina and Russia, it is necessary to be married by the state before having a religious ceremony. Some states allow civil marriages in circumstances which are not allowed by many religions, such as same-sex marriages or civil unions. Marriage may also be created by the operation of the law alone, as in common-law marriage, which is a judicial recognition that two people living as domestic partners are entitled to the effects of marriage. Conversely, there are examples of people who have a religious ceremony that is not recognized by the civil authorities. Examples include widows who stand to lose a pension if they remarry and so undergo a marriage only in the eyes of God and the community, homosexual couples (where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized), some sects which recognize polygamy, retired couples who would lose pension benefits if legally married, Muslim men who wish to engage in polygamy that is condoned in some situations under Islam, and immigrants who do not wish to alert the immigration authorities that they are married either to a spouse they are leaving behind or because the complexity of immigration laws may make it difficult for spouses to visit on a tourist visa. Roman Catholic priests in clerical clothing. ... In most Protestant churches, a minister is a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation or participates in a role in a parachurch ministry; such a person may also be called a Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Chaplain or Elder. ... Rabbi, in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root word רַב, rav, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished (in knowledge). Sephardic and Yemenite Jews pronounce this word רִבִּי ribbÄ«; the modern Israeli pronunciation רַבִּי rabbÄ« is derived from a recent (18th... Same-sex marriage is a term for a legally, socially and/or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ... A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to marriage. ... Common-law marriage (or common law marriage), sometimes called informal marriage or marriage by habit and repute is, historically, a form of interpersonal status in which a man and a woman are legally married. ... Domestic partner or domestic partnership identifies the personal relationship between individuals who are living together and sharing a common domestic life together but are not joined in any type of legal partnership, marriage or civil union. ... Effects of marriage is a legal term of art used to describe all of the rights and obligations that individuals may be subject and entitled to if they are in a common-law marriage, an annulled marriage, domestic partnership or a civil union. ... A widow is a woman whose husband has died. ... The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology and sociology. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ...

In Europe, it has traditionally been the churches' office to make marriages official by registering them. Hence, it was a significant step towards a clear separation of church and state and also an intended and sufficient weakening of the Christian churches' role in Germany, when Chancellor Otto von Bismarck introduced the Zivilehe (civil marriage) in 1875. This law made the declaration of the marriage before an official clerk of the civil administration (both spouses affirming their will to marry) the procedure to make a marriage legally valid and effective, and reduced the clerical marriage to a private ceremony. World map showing the location of Europe. ... Jesus vertreibt die Händler aus dem Tempel (Jesus and the Money Changers [in the Temple]) by Giovanni Paolo Pannini. ... Bismarck redirects here. ...

Rights and obligations

Family law
Entering into marriage
Prenuptial agreement  · Marriage
Common-law marriage
Same-sex marriage
Legal states similar to marriage
Cohabitation  · Civil union
Domestic partnership
Registered partnership
Dissolution of marriage
Annulment  · Divorce  · Alimony
Issues affecting children
Paternity  · Legitimacy  · Adoption
Legal guardian  · Ward
Emancipation of minors
Parental responsibility
Contact (including Visitation)
Residence in English law
Custody  · Child support
Areas of possible legal concern
Spousal abuse  · Child abuse
Child abduction
Adultery  · Bigamy  · Incest
Conflict of Laws Issues
Marriage  · Nullity  · Divorce

A Ketubah in Aramaic, a Jewish marriage-contract outlining the duties of each partner.

Marriage sometimes establishes the legal father of a woman's child; establishes the legal mother of a man's child; gives the husband or his family control over the wife's sexual services, labor, and/or property; gives the wife or her family control over the husband's sexual services, labor, and/or property; establishes a joint fund of property for the benefit of children; or establishes a relationship between the families of the husband and wife. No society ascribes all of these rights to marriage, and none are universal (see Edmund Leach's article in "Marriage, Family, and Residence," edited by Paul Bohannan and John Middleton). Image File history File links Scale_of_justice. ... Family Law was a television drama starring Kathleen Quinlan as a divorced lawyer who attempted to start her own law firm after her lawyer husband took all their old clients. ... // Definition A prenuptial agreement or antenuptial agreement, commonly abbreviated to prenup or prenupt, is a contract entered into by two people prior to marriage or civil union. ... Common-law marriage (or common law marriage), sometimes called informal marriage or marriage by habit and repute is, historically, a form of interpersonal status in which a man and a woman are legally married. ... Same-sex marriage is a term for a legally, socially and/or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to marriage. ... Domestic partner or domestic partnership identifies the personal relationship between individuals who are living together and sharing a common domestic life together but are not joined in any type of legal partnership, marriage or civil union. ... Registered partnership is one of several terms for a civil union or civil partnership similar to marriage, typically created for the purposes of allowing same-sex couples access to the legal and social benefits of traditional marriage. ... Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ... In many countries alimony, maintenance or spousal support is an obligation established by law that is based on the premise that both spouses have an absolute obligation to support each other during the marriage (or civil union) unless they are legally separated, though in some instances the obligation to support... Paternity is the social and legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a father and his child. ... Freiheitsrechte Recht auf Leben, Freiheit, Eigentum, Sicherheit der Person Allgemeine, nur durch Gesetz beschränkbare Handlungsfreiheit Freiheit von willkürlichen Eingriffen in die Privatsphäre (Wohnung, Briefgeheimnis etc. ... Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent (or parents) other than the birth parents. ... A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty) to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. ... In law, a ward is someone placed under the protection of a legal guardian. ... Emancipation of minors is a legal mechanism through which a person below the age of majority gain certain civil rights, generally identical to those of adults. ... In the states of the European Union and elsewhere, parental responsibility refers to the rights and privilieges which underpin the relationship between a child and either its parents or those adults who have a significant role in its life. ... In Family Law, contact (or in the United States, visitation) is one of the general terms which denotes the level of contact a parent or other significant person in a childs life can have with that child. ... In Family Law, residence is an Order of the Family court under s8 Children Act 1989 following the breakdown of a marriage and determining where the child(ren) are to live and with whom. ... Child custody and guardianship are legal terms which are sometimes used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and his or her child, such as the right of the parent to make decisions for the child, and the parents duty to care for the child. ... In many countries, child support or child maintenance is the ongoing obligation for a periodic payment made by a non-custodial parent to a custodial parent, caregiver or guardian, for the care and support of children of a relationship or marriage that has been terminated. ... Spousal abuse is a specific form of domestic violence where physical or sexual abuse is perpetuated by one spouse upon another. ... Child abuse is the physical or psychological maltreatment of a child by an adult, often synonymous with the term child maltreatment or the term child abuse and neglect. ... Child abduction is the abduction or kidnapping of a child (or baby) by an older person. ... Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse. ... Polygamy, literally many marriages in ancient Greek, is a marital practice in which a person has more than one spouse simultaneously (as opposed to monogamy where each person has a maximum of one spouse at any one time). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Private International Law, International Private Law, or Conflict of Laws is that branch of law regulating all lawsuits involving a foreign law element where a difference in result will occur depending on which laws are applied as the lex causae. ... In Conflict of Laws, the issue of marriage has assumed increasing public policy significance in a world of increasing multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community existence. ... In Conflict of Laws, the issue of nullity (known as annulment in the United States) in Family Law inspires a wide response among the laws of different states as to the circumstances in which a marriage will be valid, invalid or null. ... In modern society, the role of marriage and its termination through divorce have become political issues. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (881x1167, 236 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Marriage Ketubah User:Zuejay/sandbox ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (881x1167, 236 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Marriage Ketubah User:Zuejay/sandbox ... A ketubah is a Jewish marriage contract. ...

Marriage is not a prerequisite for having children. In the U.S., the National Center for Health Statistics reported that in 1992, 30.1 percent of births were to unmarried women.^[12][13] Some married couples remain childless by choice or due to infertility, age, or other factors preventing reproduction. In some cultures, marriage imposes upon women the obligation to bear children. In northern Ghana, for example, payment of bridewealth signifies a woman's requirement to bear children, and women using birth control face substantial threats of physical abuse and reprisals.^[14] Childfree is a term that some who do not have nor desire to have children use to describe themselves. ... Infertility is the inability to naturally conceive a child or to carry a pregnancy to full term. ... Bride price also known as bride wealth or a dower is an amount of money or property paid to the parents of a woman for the right to marry their daughter. ...

Most of the world's major religions tell couples they should marry before having sexual intercourse.^[15] They teach that unmarried people should not have sex, which they refer to as fornication. Fornication is sometimes socially discouraged or even criminalized. Sex with a married person other than one's spouse, called adultery, is universally condemned by all major world religions, and has often been criminalized. It is also against the governing law of the U.S. military. Nevertheless, three recent studies in the U.S. using nationally representative samples have found that about 10-15% of women and 20-25% of men engage in extramarital sex.^{[16] [17][18]}. It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... Look up Fornication in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse. ... The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is the foundation of military law in the United States. ...

Conversely, a marriage is commonly held to require a sexual relationship, and non-consummation (that is, failure to engage in sex) may be held grounds for an annulment (e.g., John Ruskin's abortive marriage). Upper: Steel-plate engraving of Ruskin as a young man, made circa 1845, scanned from print made circa 1895. ...

See also: Rights and responsibilities of marriages in the United States

According to the United States Government Accountability Office, there are slightly over one thousand federal laws that treat married people differently from single people. ...

Polygamy

Main article: Polygamy

Polygamous marriage, in which a person takes more than one spouse, is accepted in a majority of global social traditions, though it is far less common than monogamy.^[4] Africa has the highest rate of polygamy in the world.^[19] In Senegal, for example, nearly 47 percent of marriages are multiple.^[20] Polygyny is the typical form of polygamy, while polyandry is rare.^[21] Anthropologists distinguish between these forms of multiple marriage, where one person separately marries more than one spouse, and group marriage, in which multiple spouses all become married to one another. The group marriage form of polygamy is rare.^[4] In the U.S., the historic Oneida Colony provides a prominent 19th-century example of a polygamous group marriage. The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology and sociology. ... The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology and sociology. ... The term polygyny (neo-Greek: poly+gune Many + Wives) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology. ... In social anthropology and sociobiology, polyandry (Greek: poly many, andros man) means a female forming a stable sexual union with more than one male. ... Group marriage or Circle Marriage is a form of marriage in which more than one man and more than one woman form a family unit, and all members of the marriage share parental responsibility for any children arising from the marriage. ... The Oneida Community was a utopian commune founded by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848 in Oneida, New York. ... For the periodical, see Nineteenth Century (periodical). ...

Marriage restrictions

Many present-day societies, even those with a cultural tradition of polygamy, recognize monogamy as the only valid form of marriage. For example, China shifted from allowing polygamy to supporting only monogamy in the Marriage Act of 1953 after the Communist revolution. Polygamy is practiced illegally by some groups in the United States and Canada, primarily by Mormon fundamentalist sects that separated from the mainstream Latter Day Saints movement after the practice was renounced in 1890. While many African and Islamic societies do allow polygyny , perhaps less than 3% of all Muslim marriages are polygynous.^{[citation needed]} Monogamy is the custom or condition of having only one mate during a period of time. ... Monogamy is the custom or condition of having only one mate during a period of time. ... The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology and sociology. ... Caption It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Mormon fundamentalism. ... A sect is a small religious group that has branched off of a larger established religion. ... A Latter Day Saint (LDS) is a person who identifies with the Latter Day Saint movement and is a follower of Mormonism. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ...

Since the later decades of the 20th century, many ideas about the nature and purpose of marriage and family have been challenged in some countries, in particular by LGBT social movements, which argue that marriage should not be exclusively heterosexual. Some people also argue that marriage may be an unnecessary legal fiction.^{[citation needed]} This follows from an overall shift in Western ideas and practices of family; since World War II, the West has seen a dramatic increase in divorce (6% to over 40% of first marriages), cohabitation without marriage, a growing unmarried population, children born outside of marriage (5% to over 33% of births), and an increase in adultery (8% to over 40%)^{[citation needed]}. Consequently, a de facto system of serial monogamy has emerged. On the other hand, demands for same-sex marriage have led to its legalization in some Western countries. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... LGBT rights Around the world · By country History · Groups · Activists Same-sex relationships Opposition · Persecution Violence LGBT social movements share related goals of social acceptance of homosexuality or transgenderism. ... Combatants Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total... Serial polygamy is a form of marriage in which participants have more than one sexual partner in their lifetime (hence polygamy), but not at the same time (hence serial). ... Same-sex marriage is a term for a legally, socially and/or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ...

Today, the term marriage is generally reserved for a union that is formally recognized by the state (although some people disagree). The phrase legally married can be used to emphasize this point. In the United States, there are two methods of receiving state recognition of a marriage: common law marriage and obtaining a marriage license. The majority of US states do not recognize common law marriage.^{[citation needed]} Other localities may support various types of domestic partnerships. In many jurisdictions, common-law marriage is a legal provision whereby two people who are eligible to marry, but who do not obtain a legal marriage, are nevertheless considered married under certain conditions. ... Example of marriage license issued in San Francisco A marriage license (or marriage licence in British English) is permission from a legal authority (either church or state) for the marriage of two people to be performed. ... A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to marriage. ...

Many countries regulate the age at which one can get married. Societies have always placed restrictions on marriage to relatives, though the degree of prohibited relationship varies widely. In almost all societies, marriage between brothers and sisters is forbidden, with Ancient Egyptian, Hawaiian, and Inca royalty being the rare exceptions. In many societies, marriage between some first cousins is preferred, while at the other extreme, the medieval Catholic church prohibited marriage even between distant cousins. The present day Catholic Church still maintains a standard of required distance (in both consanguinity and affinity) for marriage. . ... Cross Cousin is an anthropological term describing kin who are in the same descent group as the subject (ego) and are from the parents opposite-sexed sibling. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... Consanguinity, literally meaning common blood, describes how close a person is related to another in the sense of a family. ... In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity, as distinguished from consanguinity, is kinship by marriage. ...

In the Indian Hindu community, especially in the Brahmin caste, marrying a person of the same gotra was prohibited, since persons belonging to the same gotra are said to have identical patrilineal descent. In ancient India, when gurukuls existed, the shishyas (pupils) were advised against marrying any of guru's children, as shishyas were also considered the guru's children and it would be considered marriage among siblings. However, there were exceptions, including Arjuna's son Abhimanyu's marriage to Uttra, the dance student of Arjuna in Mahabharata. The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 brought reforms in the area of same-gotra marriages, which were banned prior to the act's passage. Now the Indian constitution allows any two consenting adults (women 18 or older and men 21 or older) from any race, religion, caste, or creed to marry. A gotra is the lineage or clan assigned to a Hindu at birth. ... A Gurukul is a type of ancient Hindu school in India that is residential in nature with the shishyas or students and the guru or teacher living in close proximity, many a time within the same house. ... Guru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Krishna to Arjuna: Behold My mystic opulence! Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, arjuna) is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. ... Abhimanyu (Sanskrit: अभिमन्यु, abhimanyu) is a tragic hero in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. ... Mahabharat redirects here. ...

Many societies have also adopted other restrictions on whom one can marry, such as prohibitions of marrying persons with the same surname, or persons with the same sacred animal. Anthropologists refer to these sorts of restrictions as exogamy. One example is South Korea's general taboo against a man marrying a woman with the same family name. The most common surname in South Korea is Kim (almost 20%); however, there are several branches (or clans) in the Kim surname. (Korean family names are divided into one or more clans.) Only intra-clan marriages are prohibited, as they are considered one type of exogamy. Thus, many "Kim-Kim" couples can be found. Anthropolology (from the Greek word , man or person+knowledge) consists of the study of humanity (see genus Homo). ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Kim is the most common family name in Korea. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

An exception to this pattern was in ancient Egypt, where marriage between brothers and sisters was permitted in the royal family — as it was also permitted in Hawaii and among the Inca. This privilege was denied commoners and may have served to concentrate wealth and power in one family.^{[citation needed]} The consequence of the incest-taboo is exogamy, the requirement to marry someone from another group. Anthropologists have thus pointed out that the incest taboo may serve to promote social solidarity. Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Societies have also at times required marriage from within a certain group. Anthropologists refer to these restrictions as endogamy. An example of such restrictions would be a requirement to marry someone from the same tribe. Racist laws adopted by some societies in the past—such as Nazi-era Germany, apartheid-era South Africa and most of the United States in the first half of the 20th century—which prohibited marriage between persons of different races could also be considered examples of endogamy. In the U.S., these laws were largely repealed between 1940 and 1960. The U.S. Supreme Court declared all such laws unconstitutional in the case of Loving v. Virginia in 1967. Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a social group. ... Manifestations Slavery · Racial profiling · Lynching Hate speech · Hate crime · Hate groups Genocide · Holocaust · Pogrom Ethnocide · Ethnic cleansing · Race war Religious persecution · Gay bashing Movements Discriminatory Aryanism · Neo-Nazism · Supremacism Fundamentalism · Kahanism Anti-discriminatory Abolitionism · Civil rights · Gay rights Womens/Universal suffrage · Mens rights Childrens rights · Youth rights... National Socialism redirects here. ... Petty apartheid: sign on Durban beach in English, Afrikaans and Zulu (1989) Apartheid (literally separateness in Afrikaans) was a system of racial segregation that was enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. ... It has been suggested that Anti-miscegenation laws be merged into this article or section. ... Holding The Court declared Virginias anti-miscegenation statute, the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, unconstitutional, thereby ending all race-based legal restriction on marriage in the United States. ...

Cultures that practice slavery might admit that slave marriages form, but grant them no legal status. This was the practice under the Roman empire, so that in the Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas, the freewoman Perpetua could be described as "a married matron" but Felicitas as the "fellow-servant" of Revocatus — even though the Christians regarded, religiously, such marriages as binding. Likewise, slave marriages in the United States were not binding, so that many contrabands escaping slavery during the American Civil War sought official status for their marriages. Among the rights distinguishing serfdom from slavery was the right to enter a legally recognizable marriage. The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Perpetua and Felicitas are two 3rd century Christian martyrs venerated as saints. ... Contraband was the terminology used by Brigadier General Benjamin Butler, commander at Fort Monroe in southeastern Virginia, at the outset of the American Civil War to describe a new status for certain escaped slaves. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Weddings

Main article: Wedding

Couple married in a Shinto ceremony in Takayama, Gifu prefecture (Jim Maes).

A marriage may be celebrated with a wedding ceremony,^[22] which can be performed by a religious officiator or through a similar government-sanctioned secular process. Despite the ceremony being led by somone else, most religious traditions maintain that the marriage itself is mediated between the two individuals through vows, with the gathered audience witnessing, affirming, and legitimizing the marriage. Nubian wedding with some international modern touches, near Aswan, Egypt Preparing for the photographs, at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, England A traditional Japanese wedding ceremony A wedding is a ceremony which celebrates the beginning of a marriage. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1360x2048, 1388 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Marriage User:Zuejay/sandbox Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1360x2048, 1388 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Marriage User:Zuejay/sandbox Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Nubian wedding with some international modern touches, near Aswan, Egypt Preparing for the photographs, at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, England A traditional Japanese wedding ceremony A wedding is a ceremony which celebrates the beginning of a marriage. ... Part of the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard in Whitehall, London. ... A vow (Lat. ...

The ceremony in which a marriage is enacted and announced to the community is called a wedding. A wedding in which the participants marry in the "eyes of the law" is called a civil marriage. Religions also facilitate weddings, in the "eyes of God". In many European and some Latin American countries, a religious ceremony must be held separate from the civil ceremony. Certain countries, like Belgium, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands, demand that the civil marriage take place before any religious marriage. In some countries — notably the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Norway and Spain — both ceremonies can be held together; the officiant at the religious and community ceremony also serves as an agent of the state to enact the civil marriage. That does not mean that the state is "recognizing" religious marriages — the "civil" ceremony just takes place at the same time as the religious ceremony. Often this involves simply signing a register during the religious ceremony. If the civil element of the religious ceremony is omitted, no marriage took place in the eyes of the law. Nubian wedding with some international modern touches, near Aswan, Egypt Preparing for the photographs, at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, England A traditional Japanese wedding ceremony A wedding is a ceremony which celebrates the beginning of a marriage. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

While some countries, such as Australia, permit marriages to be held in private and at any location, others, including England, require that the civil ceremony be conducted in a place specially sanctioned by law (i.e., a church or registry office), and be open to the public. An exception can be made in the case of marriage by special emergency license, which is normally granted only when one of the parties is terminally ill. Rules about where and when persons can marry vary from place to place. Some regulations require that one of the parties reside in the locality of the registry office. Because of Australia's very relaxed rules on marriage, some celebrities (such as Michael Jackson) have opted to marry in Australia to have a private ceremony. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... For other people named Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation). ...

The way in which a marriage is enacted has changed over time, as has the institution of marriage itself. In Europe during the Middle Ages, marriage was enacted by the couple promising verbally to each other that they would be married to each other; the presence of a priest or other witnesses was not required. This promise was known as the "verbum". If made in the present tense (e.g. "I marry you"), it was unquestionably binding; if made in the future tense ("I will marry you"), it would constitute a betrothal, but if the couple proceeded to have sexual relations, the union was a marriage. As part of the Reformation, the role of recording marriages and setting the rules for marriage passed to the state; by the 1600s many of the Protestant European countries had heavy state involvement in marriage. As part of the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church added a requirement of witnesses to the promise, which under normal circumstances had to include the priest. World map showing the location of Europe. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Betrothal is a formal state of engagement to be married. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... November 5, 1605 â€” The Gunpowder Plot to blow up the British Parliament. ... Protestantism is one of three main groups within Christianity, whose beliefs are centered on Jesus. ... The Counter-Reformation or the Catholic Reformation was a strong reaffirmation of the doctrine and structure of the Catholic Church, climaxing at the Council of Trent, partly in reaction to the growth of Protestantism. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... Clandestinity is a diriment impediment in the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Marriage and religion

Main article: Religious aspects of marriage

A Muslim couple being wed alongside the Tungabhadra River at Kampi, India.

Many religions have extensive teachings regarding marriage. Most Christian churches give some form of blessing to a marriage; the wedding ceremony typically includes some sort of pledge by the community to support the couple's relationship. Religious communities widely hold marriage as a relationship uniquely allegorical to God's relationship with "His" people; the husband represents God and the bride represents the whole of God's chosen people.^{[citation needed]} In virtually all religions, marriage is a long-term union between two people and is established with ceremonies and rituals. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Muslim_wedding_in_India. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Muslim_wedding_in_India. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Nubian wedding with some international modern touches, near Aswan, Egypt Preparing for the photographs, at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, England A traditional Japanese wedding ceremony A wedding is a ceremony which celebrates the beginning of a marriage. ...

Liturgical Christian communions—notably Anglicanism, Catholicism, and Orthodoxy—consider marriage (sometimes termed holy matrimony) to be an expression of grace, termed a sacrament or mystery. In Western ritual, the sacrament is bestowed upon a husband and wife by the spouses themselves, with a bishop, priest, or deacon normally witnessing the union on behalf of the church. In Eastern ritual churches, the clergyman functions as the minister. Western Christians commonly term marriage a vocation, while Eastern Christians term it an ordination and a martyrdom, though the theological emphases indicated by the various appellations are not excluded by the catechetical teachings of either tradition. Marriage is commonly celebrated in the context of a Eucharistic service (a nuptial Mass or Divine Liturgy). The sacrament of marriage is iconic of the relationship between Christ and the Church. While most Reformed Christians would deny the elevation of marriage to the status of a sacrament, nonetheless it is considered a covenant between spouses before God.^{[citation needed]}

In Judaism, marriage is viewed as a contractual bond commanded by God in which a man and a woman come together to create a relationship in which God is directly involved.^[23] Though procreation is not the sole purpose, Jewish marriage is also expected to fulfill the commandment to have children.^[24] The main focus centers around the relationship between the husband and wife. Kabbalistically, marriage is understood to mean that the husband and wife are merging together into a single soul. This is why a man is considered "incomplete" if he is not married, as his soul is only one part of a larger whole that remains to be unified. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Kabbalah (Hebrew: ‎, Tiberian: , Qabbālāh, Israeli: Kabala) literally means receiving, in the sense of a received tradition, and is sometimes transliterated as Cabala, Kabbala, Qabalah, or other permutations. ...

Islam also recommends marriage highly; among other things, it helps in the pursuit of spiritual perfection. The Bahá'í Faith sees marriage as a foundation of the structure of society, and considers it both a physical and spiritual bond that endures into the afterlife. Buddhism does not encourage or discourage marriage, although it does teach how one might live a happily married life. Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel, governing body of the Baháís The Baháí Faith is a religion founded by Baháulláh in 19th century Persia. ... Baháí marriage is union of a man and a women. ... For the Notorious B.I.G. Album, see Life After Death. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ...

Hinduism sees marriage as a sacred duty that entails both religious and social obligations. Old Hindu literature in Sanskrit gives many different types of marriages and their categorization ranging from "Gandharva Vivaha" (instant marriage by mutual consent of participants only, without any need for even a single third person as witness) to normal (present day) marriages, to "Rakshasa Vivaha" (marriage performed by abduction of one participant by the other participant, usually, but not always, with the help of other persons). There are elaborate laws in Manusmriti directing which castes and which varnas can marry which castes, and the penalties for breaking these nuptial laws. Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is an old Indo-Aryan language from the Indian Subcontinent, the classical literary language of the Hindus of India[1], a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... The Manu Smriti or Laws of Manu, is one of the eighteen Smritis of the Dharma Sastra (or laws of righteous conduct), written c. ... Varna (Bulgarian: ) is the largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 92nd-largest in the European Union, with a population of 346,847[1] (2006). ...

For the most part, religious traditions in the world reserve marriage to heterosexual unions, but there are exceptions including Unitarian Universalist and Metropolitan Community Church.^[25] The flaming chalice is the universally recognized symbol for Unitarian Universalism. ... Logo of the Metropolitan Community Churches The Metropolitan Community Church (in full, The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches or UFMCC, or more commonly MCC) is an international fellowship of Christian congregations. ...

Marriage and cohabitation

Marriage is an institution which can join together people's lives in emotional and economic ways. Marriage can also lead to the formation of a new household, but among some people (e.g. the Minangkabau of West Sumatra), residency after marriage is matrilocal, with the husband moving into the pre-existing household of his wife's mother.^[26] Emotional redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Minangkabau ethnic group (also known as Minang or Padang) is indigenous to the highlands of West Sumatra, in Indonesia. ... Motto: Tuah Sakato. ... Matrilocality is a term used in social anthropology. ...

In many Western cultures, married people usually live together in the same home, often sharing the same bed, but in some other regions this is not the tradition.^[27] In southwestern China, for example, walking marriages, in which the husband and wife do not live together, have been a traditional part of the Mosuo culture.^[28] Walking marriages have also been increasingly common in modern Beijing. Guo Jianmei, director of the center for women's studies at Beijing University, told a Newsday correspondent, "Walking marriages reflect sweeping changes in Chinese society."^[29] A similar arrangement in Saudi Arabia, called misyar marriage, also involves the husband and wife living separately but meeting regularly.^[30] Walking marriage is a widely-used misnomer for the sort of romantic and sexual relationships embedded in the culture of, especially, the Mosuo ethnic minority of China. ... Newsday is a daily tabloid-size newspaper that primarily serves Long Island and the New York City borough of Queens, although it is sold throughout the New York City metropolitan area. ... Misyar Marriage or travellers marriage (Arabic نكاح المسيار) is a marriage without the couple living together in the same house, the husband not being financially responsible for his wife. ...

Conversely, marriage is not a prerequisite for cohabitation. In one study, Jay Teachman, a researcher at Western Washington University, studied premarital cohabitation of women who are in a monogamous relationship.^[31] Teachman’s study showed "women who are committed to one relationship, who have both premarital sex and cohabit only with the man they eventually marry, have no higher incidence of divorce than women who abstain from premarital sex and cohabitation. For women in this category, premarital sex and cohabitation with their eventual husband are just two more steps in developing a committed, long-term relationship."^[32] This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Western Washington University (also referred to as WWU or Western) is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. ...

Marriage and economics

Historical traditions

The economics of marriage have changed over time. Historically, in many cultures the family of the bride had to provide a dowry to pay a man for marrying their daughter. In Early Modern Britain, the social status of the couple was supposed to be equal. After the marriage, the entire property (called "fortune") and expected inheritances of the wife belonged only to her husband (a frequent subject in Early Modern British literature); she was often called "his property", which did then include the protection a single woman did not have. In other cultures, the family of the groom had to pay a bride price to the bride's family for the right to marry the daughter. In some cultures, dowries and bride prices are still demanded today. In both cases, the financial transaction takes place between the groom (or his family) and the bride's family; the bride has no part in the transaction and often no choice in whether to participate in the marriage. A dowry (also known as trousseau) is a gift of money or valuables given by the brides family to the grooms at the time of their marriage. ... The early modern period is a term used by historians to refer to the period in Western Europe and its first colonies, between the Middle Ages and modern society. ... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ... Bride price also known as bride wealth or a dower is an amount of money or property paid to the parents of a woman for the right to marry their daughter. ...

In some cultures, dowries were not unconditional gifts. If the groom had other children, they could not inherit the dowry, which had to go to the bride's children. In the event of her childlessness, the dowry had to return to her family, and sometimes not until the groom's death or remarriage. Often the bride was entitled to inherit at least as much as her dowry from her husband's estate.

Morning gifts, which might also be arranged by the bride's father rather than the bride, are given to the bride herself; the name derives from the Germanic tribal custom of giving them the morning after the wedding night. She might have control of this morning gift during the lifetime of her husband, but is entitled to it when widowed. If the amount of her inheritance is settled by law rather than agreement, it may be called dower. Depending on legal systems and the exact arrangement, she may not be entitled to dispose of it after her death, and may lose the property if she remarries. Morning gifts were preserved for many centuries in morganatic marriage, a union where the wife's inferior social status was held to prohibit her children from inheriting a noble's titles or estates. In this case, the morning gift would support the wife and children. Another legal provision for widowhood was jointure, in which property, often land, would be held in joint tenancy, so that it would automatically go to the widow on her husband's death. Dower or morning gift (Latin: doarium or morganaticum; Fr. ... Dower (Lat. ... A morganatic marriage is a type of marriage which can be contracted in certain countries, usually between persons of unequal social rank (unebenbürtig in German), which prevents the passage of the husbands titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage. ... Jointure is, in law, a provision for a wife after the death of her husband. ...

Modern conventions

In many modern legal systems, two people who marry have the choice between keeping their property separate or combining their property. In the latter case, called community property, when the marriage ends by divorce each owns half; if one partner dies the surviving partner owns half and inheritance rules apply to the other half. In many legal jurisdictions, laws related to property and inheritance provide by default for property to pass upon the death of one party in a marriage to the spouse first and secondarily to the children. Wills and trusts can make alternative provisions for property succession. Community property is a marital property regime that originated in civil law jurisdictions, and is now also found in some common law jurisdictions. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ... Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. ... Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. ... In the common law, a will or testament is a document by which a person (the testator) regulates the rights of others over his property or family after death. ... Look up trust in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In some legal systems, the partners in a marriage are "jointly liable" for the debts of the marriage. This has a basis in a traditional legal notion called the "Doctrine of Necessities" whereby a husband was responsible to provide necessary things for his wife. Where this is the case, one partner may be sued to collect a debt for which they did not expressly contract. Critics of this practice note that debt collection agencies can abuse this by claiming an unreasonably wide range of debts to be expenses of the marriage. The cost of defence and the burden of proof is then placed on the non-contracting party to prove that the expense is not a debt of the family. The respective maintenance obligations, both during and eventually after a marriage, are regulated in most jurisdictions; alimony is one such method. In law, jurisdiction (from the Latin jus, juris meaning law and dicere meaning to speak) is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area... In many countries alimony, maintenance or spousal support is an obligation established by law that is based on the premise that both spouses have an absolute obligation to support each other during the marriage (or civil union) unless they are legally separated, though in some instances the obligation to support...

Some have attempted to analyse the institution of marriage using economic theory; for example, anarcho-capitalist economist David Friedman has written a lengthy and controversial study of marriage as a market transaction (the market for husbands and wives).^[33] Anarcho-capitalism is a view that regards all forms of the state as unnecessary and harmful, particularly in matters of justice and self-defense, while being highly supportive of private property. ... David D. Friedman (b. ...

Taxation

In most countries, the tax-rate structure is progressive, that is, a higher income pays a higher rate of tax. In such a context, income averaging is advantageous to the taxpayer. Married couples normally combine their income which, when the spouses' monetary incomes are disparate, affords them the advantage of this income averaging. To compensate for this somewhat, many countries with progressive taxes enact higher tax rates on that averaged income (married couples in such jurisdictions pay more than twice the tax of a single person making half of the income). Couples with disparate incomes (which is the case for a stay-at-home spouse married to a "breadwinner") will gain a tax advantage from income averaging. However, married couples having roughly equal personal incomes gain nothing from such income averaging yet remain subject to the higher tax bracket (for married filing jointly) and thus pay more total tax than they would as two single persons. This is commonly called the marriage penalty in the tax laws. A progressive tax is a tax imposed so that the tax rate increases as the amount to which the rate is applied increases. ... Tax brackets are the divisions at which tax rates change in a progressive tax system (or an explicitly regressive tax system, although this is much rarer). ... The marriage penalty in the United States refers to the higher taxes required from some married couples, where spouses are making approximately the same taxable income, filing one tax return (married filing jointly) than for the same two people filing two separate tax returns (as single, not married filing separately...

Moreover, when the rates applied by the tax code are not based on averaging the incomes, but rather on the sum of individuals' incomes, higher rates will definitely apply for two-earner households in progressive tax systems. This is most often the case with high-income taxpayers and is another situation where some consider there to be a marriage penalty.

In some cultures, women are expected to marry a spouse who is more economically, socially, or politically powerful. Known as hypergyny, this practice is common in India.^{[citation needed]} Though an expected social norm in America, hypergyny is slowly being replaced by isogamy, marriage between equals, and the marrying 'down' of woman.^{[citation needed]} Many anthropologists ascribe this to increased gender equality between women and men.^{[citation needed]} In social science, hypergyny refers to the phenomenon in which women tend to marry men that are of slightly higher social status. ... A gamete is a specialized germ cell that fuses with another gamete during fertilization (conception) in organisms that reproduce sexually. ...

Arranged marriage

Main article: Arranged marriage

An arranged marriage between Louis XIV of France and Maria Theresa of Spain

A pragmatic (or 'arranged') marriage is facilitated by formal procedures of family or group politics. A responsible authority sets up or encourages the marriage; they may, indeed, engage a professional matchmaker to find a suitable spouse for an unmarried person. The authority figure could be parents, family, a religious official, or a group consensus. The former two often start the marriage process with informal pressure or social pressure, whilst the latter two often start with a formal system or statement. In both cases, the authority has a compelling veto over the marriage, and this system is socially supported by the rest of community so denial is extreme and drastic. Once declared, an engagement is implicit, which follows through with a formal marriage ceremony.^{[citation needed]} An arranged marriage is a marriage that is established before involving oneself in a lengthy relationship, and often involves the arrangement of someone else other than the person getting married. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1304x986, 296 KB) Mariage du Duc de Bourgogne, Louis de France (1682-1712). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1304x986, 296 KB) Mariage du Duc de Bourgogne, Louis de France (1682-1712). ... Louis XIV King of France and Navarre By Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638–September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... Some suspected Theresas death in 1683 was foul-play. ... Matchmaking is any process of introducing people for the purposes of dating and mating, usually in the context of marriage. ...

Arranged and 'pragmatic' marriages are typical of dowry-based inheritance systems. Women in these societies inherit male wealth at the time of marriage, causing parents to have a particular interest in their daughters' marriages. These same societies demand pre-marital chastity and keep a high degree of separation of the sexes until marriage.^{[citation needed]} A dowry (also known as trousseau) is a gift of money or valuables given by the brides family to the grooms at the time of their marriage. ...

Though now a rarity in Western countries, arranged marriages in countries such as India are widely prevalent even today. In villages, marriage of a child has much to do with family property; parents adopt the practice of child marriage and arrange the wedding sometimes even before the child is born (though this practice was made illegal by Child Marriage Restraint Act of the Indian Government, to no effect). In urban India, people use thriving institutions known as Marriage Bureaus, where candidates register themselves with their profile at a set fee.

A diluted, more moderate version of arranged marriage is widely prevalent, especially in urban areas. Parents suggest a possible candidate with the intention of marriage, preceded by significant period of courtship. This practice creates less social pressure from the stringent practices adopted in the villages.

A related form of pragmatic marriage, sometimes called a marriage of convenience, involves immigration laws. According to one publisher of information about "green card" marriages, "Every year over 450,000 thousand United States citizens marry foreign-born individuals and petition for them to obtain a permanent residency (Green Card) in the United States."^[34] While this is likely an over-estimate, in 2003 alone 184,741 immigrants were admitted to the U.S. as spouses of U.S. citizens.^[35] A marriage of convenience (plural marriages of convenience) is a marriage contracted for reasons other than the traditional reasons of love or family. ...

Popular culture often associates love with marriage, as in the song, Love and Marriage. But a U.S. senator has written that doing so harms the the institution of marriage, saying, "If marriage begins to be viewed as the way two adults make known their love for each other, there is no reason to marry before children are born rather than after. And if it is immaterial whether a couple should be married before the birth of a child, then why should they marry at all?"^[36] Love and Marriage, sung by Frank Sinatra, was the theme song for the television series Married. ...

Same-sex marriage

Main article: Same-sex marriage

Since 2001, five nations have made same-sex marriage legal, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, and South Africa. Israel recognizes same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. In the United States, Massachusetts is the only state to recognize same-sex marriage under the name marriage. Civil unions are a separate form of legal union open to couples of the same sex, and they are currently recognized in 24 out of 193 countries worldwide and in some U.S. states. Many U.S. states have adopted referendums or laws that generally restrict marriage recognition to heterosexual couples. Federally, the U.S. Senate has considered, and failed to pass, a Federal Marriage Amendment. Same-sex marriage is a term for a legally, socially and/or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ... Same-sex marriage is a term for a legally, socially and/or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... A civil union is one of several terms for a civil status similar to marriage, typically created for the purposes of allowing homosexual couples access to the benefits enjoyed by married heterosexuals (see also same-sex marriage); it can also be used by couples of differing sexes who do not... The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would define marriage in the United States as a union of one man and one woman. ...

Marriages between same-sex partners are rare or nonexistent in most societies. Civil unions, however, are recognized and accepted in approximately 30 countries. Same-sex unions have also been recorded in the history of pre-modern Europe.^[37] Same-sex marriage remains statistically insignificant worldwide, as it is not legally recognized in most countries. However, in countries where it has been adopted, applications for marriage licenses have far exceeded governmental estimates of demand.^[38] As homosexuality has become more accepted in Western cultures, more governments are allowing and/or sanctioning marriage of same-sex couples. A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to marriage. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ...

These developments have created a political and religious reaction in some countries, most notably in the United Kingdom, where the Church of England, after long debate, officially banned blessings of gay couples by Church of England clergy^[39], and in the United States, where several states have specifically defined marriage as between a man and a woman, often by popular referenda^{[citation needed]}. The state of Mississippi passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman and refusing to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. [2] The measure passed with 86% of the vote, the highest percentage seen on a statewide level^{[citation needed]}. Conversely, several states, such as California and Massachusetts, have sanctioned some form of same-sex unions. In addition, Lutheran churches in Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and some Lutheran churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany allow blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. In other countries, (such as Finland) such ceremonies are discouraged and rarely performed by the church.^{[citation needed]} The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A constitutional amendment is an alteration to the constitution of a nation or a state. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Lutheranism is a movement within Christianity that began with the theological insights of Martin Luther in the 16th century. ... Evangelical Church in Germany is a wrong translation of (German Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, abbreviated as EKD). ...

Civil unions are a separate form of legal union open to couples of the same sex. Many more countries have legalized civil unions than those which have legalized same-sex marriage. Some religious denominations ceremonially perform civil unions, and recognize them as essentially equivalent to marriage. A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to marriage. ...

Termination

In most societies, the death of one of the partners terminates the marriage, and in monogamous societies this allows the other partner to remarry. A spouse who outlives the other is referred to as a widow (female) or widower (male). Many societies also provide for the termination of marriage through divorce. Marriages can also be annulled by a proceeding that establishes that a marriage was invalid from its beginning. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A widow is a woman whose husband has died. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ... Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. ...

Several cultures have practiced temporary and conditional marriages. Examples include the Celtic practice of handfasting and fixed-term marriages in the Muslim community. Pre-Islamic Arabs practiced a form of temporary marriage that carries on today in the practice of Nikah Mut'ah, a fixed-term marriage contract. Muslim controversies related to Nikah Mut'ah have resulted in the practice being confined mostly to Shi'ite communities. Celts redirects here. ... Handfasting is an ancient Celtic wedding ritual in which the brides and grooms hands are tied together —hence the phrase tying the knot. It was a part of the normal marriage ceremony in the time of the Roman Empire. ... It has been suggested that Mutta marriage be merged into this article or section. ... This article tries to represent both views regarding Muslim controversies related to Nikah Mutah. ... Shī‘a Islam, also Shi‘ite Islam, or Shi‘ism (Arabic ) is the second largest denomination of the Islamic faith. ...

Criticisms of the institution of marriage

Main article: Criticisms of the institution of marriage

Some commentators have been critical of marriage, sometimes condemning individual local practices or the entire institution. Many of the criticisms are developed from a feminist viewpoint, which claims that marriage can be particularly disadvantageous to women. However, there are other viewpoints from which marriage in its usual forms is problematic. Father's Rights advocates claim that no-fault divorce and a family court bias toward giving women custody of children encourages divorce. Criticisms from same-sex rights movements of the institution focus on its general exclusion of homosexuals, likening this to old prohibitions on cross-racial marriages.^{[citation needed]} This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Feminism is a collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies largely motivated by or concerned with the liberation of women. ... The Fathers rights movement is a loose network of interest groups, primarily in western countries, established to campaign for equal treatment by the courts in family law issues such as child custody after divorce, child support, and paternity determinations. ... No-fault divorce is the dissolution of a marriage, upon petition to the court by either party, without the requirement that the petitioner show fault on the part of the other party. ...

See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Marriage

Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo-en. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Types

Main article: Types of marriages

• Arranged marriage - marital partners are chosen by others. Marriage has fulfilled a role of diplomacy between monarchies and other dynastic contexts, such as business families. As marriages may be arranged for the union of families or other interests, love is not a universal prerequisite for marriage.[3]
• Boston marriage - marriage-like relationship between two women, not necessarily sexual.
• Chinese marriage - arrangement between families.
• Common-law marriage - class of interpersonal status.
• Confarreatio and coemptio, two Roman forms of marriage
• Covenant marriage - in some U.S. states, a form of marriage where divorce is made more difficult.
• Digital marriage - two people who have no connection outside their gaming lives come together within a virtual community.
• Fleet Marriage - Clandestine marriage in 18th century England in the vicinity of Fleet Prison.
• Group marriage - Marriage between couples
• Levirate marriage
• Marriage of convenience
• Mut'ah (temporary Islamic marriage)
• Morganatic marriage
• Open marriage
• Polygamy
• Proxy marriage - Ceremony in which the bride, the groom, or both are not physically present and use stand-ins
• Same-sex marriage
• Sexless marriage - Marriage without sexual intercourse
• Sororate marriage

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with marriage. ... An arranged marriage is a marriage that is established before involving oneself in a lengthy relationship, and often involves the arrangement of someone else other than the person getting married. ... Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection or profound oneness. ... In the 19th century, Boston marriage was a term used for households where two women lived together, independent of any male support. ... Traditionally marriage in ethnic Chinese societies (Chinese: ; pinyin: hūn yīn) has been an arrangement between families. ... Common-law marriage (or common law marriage), sometimes called informal marriage or marriage by habit and repute is, historically, a form of interpersonal status in which a man and a woman are legally married. ... The confarreatio was the ancient patrician form of marriage among the Romans, especially necessary at the nuptials of those whose children were intended to be vestal virgins or flamens of Jupiter. ... Manus is a word for a type of marriage during Roman times. ... Roman or Romans may refer to: A thing or person of or from the city of Rome. ... A covenant marriage is a modern concept of marriage considered to be a cultural and political response to no-fault divorce. ... A digital marriage occurs when two people who have no connection outside their gaming lives come together within a video game to do, within this virtual community, what they feel that they cannot accomplish within real life. ... A Fleet Marriage is the best-known example of an irregular or a clandestine marriage taking place in England before 1753. ... Group marriage or Circle Marriage is a form of marriage in which more than one man and more than one woman form a family unit, and all members of the marriage share parental responsibility for any children arising from the marriage. ... Levirate marriage is the practice of a woman marrying one of her husbands brothers after her husbands death, if there were no children, in order to continue the line of the dead husband. ... A marriage of convenience (plural marriages of convenience) is a marriage contracted for reasons other than the traditional reasons of love or family. ... Mutah is a Arabic term meaning joy. Mutah in itself is also an Islamic Term that denotes two other Islamic terms: Nikah Mutah — The second Quranic Marriage form. ... A morganatic marriage is a type of marriage which can be contracted in certain countries, usually between persons of unequal social rank (unebenbürtig in German), which prevents the passage of the husbands titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage. ... Open marriage typically refers to a marriage in which the partners agree that each is free to engage in extramarital sexual relationships, without regarding this as sexual infidelity. ... The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology and sociology. ... A proxy marriage is a marriage in which either the bride or the groom is not physically present for the wedding. ... Same-sex marriage is a term for a legally, socially and/or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ... A sexless marriage is a marriage in which no sex is had between the two partners. ... Sororate marriage is the sociological custom of a man marrying (or engaging in sexual activity) with his wifes sister (rarely with her brother), usually after the wife is dead or has proved infertile. ...

Lists and statistics

Marital Status in the U.S.

• Age at first marriage - average ages of people when they first marry
• List of people with longest marriages
• List of people with multiple marriages

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (900x846, 210 KB) Author - Noel Fallstrom I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (900x846, 210 KB) Author - Noel Fallstrom I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... This is an incomplete list of the average ages of people when they first marry in various countries. ... Longest marriages Liu Yung-yang (1903- ) and Yang Wan (1904- ). Married in April 1917 for 85 years as of 2006. ... This is a list of people notable for four or more marriages. ...

Related concepts

• Adultery - consensual sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse.
• Alimony - obligation of support.
• Annulment - legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void.
• Betrothal - formal state of engagement to be married.
• Brideservice
• Covenant marriage
• Divorce - ending of a marriage.
• Engagement
• Free love - a social movement opposed to marriage
• Frequency of sexual activity
• Husband
• Inheritance
• Separation - ending of a marriage.
• Marriage (conflict)
• Marriage strike - Increasing ambivalence toward marriage in American men.
• Marriageable age
• Mail-order bride
• Monogamy
• Nikah urfi
• Polygamy
• Wedding
• Wedding ring
• Wife

Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse. ... In many countries alimony, maintenance or spousal support is an obligation established by law that is based on the premise that both spouses have an absolute obligation to support each other during the marriage (or civil union) unless they are legally separated, though in some instances the obligation to support... Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. ... Betrothal is a formal state of engagement to be married. ... Brideservice has traditionally been portrayed in the anthropological literature as the service rendered to the bride’s family by the bridegroom as a brideprice or part of one. ... A covenant marriage is a modern concept of marriage considered to be a cultural and political response to no-fault divorce. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ... William-Adolphe Bouguereau The Proposal An engagement is an agreement or promise to marry, and also refers to the time between proposal and marriage. ... The term free love has been used since at least the nineteenth century to describe a social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social bondage, especially for women. ... The frequency of sexual activity of humans is determined by several parameters, and varies greatly from person to person, and within a persons lifetime. ... Husband may refer to: the male spouse in a marriage a husband pillow. ... Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. ... Legal separation is a possible step towards divorce under United States law. ... In Conflict of Laws, the issue of marriage has assumed increasing public policy significance in a world of increasing multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community existence. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Fathers rights. ... . ... Mail-order bride is a label applied to a woman who publishes her intent to marry someone from another--usually more developed--country. ... Monogamy is the custom or condition of having only one mate during a period of time. ... Nikah urfi is a kind of marriage. ... The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology and sociology. ... Nubian wedding with some international modern touches, near Aswan, Egypt Preparing for the photographs, at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, England A traditional Japanese wedding ceremony A wedding is a ceremony which celebrates the beginning of a marriage. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ...

References

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... George Peter Murdock (May 11, 1897 - March 29, 1985) was a notable anthropologist. ... The Kaingang people are spread out over the four southern Brazilian states of São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Academic Press (London, New York and San Diego) was an academic book publisher that is now part of Elsevier. ... The Columbus School of Law is the law school of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1897. ... Natural History is a magazine on science and nature aimed at the general public which is published by the American Museum of Natural History. ... Newsday is a daily tabloid-size newspaper that primarily serves Long Island and the New York City borough of Queens, although it is sold throughout the New York City metropolitan area. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A news release, press release or press statement is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. ... National Review (NR) is a biweekly magazine of political opinion, founded by author William F. Buckley Jr. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• The National Marriage Project at Rutgers University
• John Boswell's Same-Sex Unions in Pre-Modern Europe