Page 83 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 12: Marriage: Concept, Forms and Significance

12.1 Meaning and Definition of Marriage Notes

The literal meaning of marriage in Hindi means “to take the bride to grooms home”. Defining
the marriage Lucy Mayor wrote “Marriage is defined as the conjugation of male and female
due to which the child born by female. It should be considered as the legitimate child of them
(mother and father)”. In this definition, the relation of male and female which leads to the birth
of child is accepted and considered legitimate. And as a result, the mother-father and children
gets some rights and status in the society.
According to W. H. R. Reverse, “The means by which the human society regulates the sexual
relation of male and female are termed as marriage”.
According to Westermark, “Marriage is a relation of one or more male with one or more female,
which is accepted by custom and law and rights and duties of both the parties and the children
born coming to this organization are incorporated”. Westermark has accepted the relation of
more than one male or female which is recognized by the custom and law. Husband-Wife and
their born children are provided with some rights and duties”.
According to Bogardus, “Marriage is an institution to enter into a family life by male and
female”.
Majumdar and Madaan writes, “In marriage, in the form of legal and ritual celebration, those
social acknowledgements are incorporated which provide right of sexual relation to the persons
of opposite sex and to participate in the related the socio-economic relations”.
Johnson had written, “The essential term for marriage is that it is a permanent relation. In which
a male and a female without losing their status in the community retains social right to give
birth to a child”.
According to Hobbel, “Marriage is the totality of the Ideal Social Norms which defines and
controls the mutual relations of the married persons, their blood-relations, their children and
social relations”. As a result of marriage, many rights and duties take birth between mother-
father and children.

Marriage is a social, religious and lawful acknowledgement for two persons of
opposite sex to enter into a family life. To make men-women and children fol-
lower of different socio-economic activities, to procreate and to nurture and
socialize children are the main work of the marriage.

12.2 Main Characteristics and Significance of Marriage
From the above definitions of marriage, following characteristics of marriage came forward:
1. Marriage is a fundamental and general social institution which is found in every country,
era, society and culture.
2. Marriage is the relation of two persons of opposite sex. For marriage two persons of op-
posite sex i.e. one male and one female is essential. Moreover, somewhere one male marries
one or more females or one female marries one or more males, but generally custom of
monogamy is mostly found now a days.
3. Marriage is recognized when it is acknowledged by the society. This acknowledgement
may be by custom or law or in form of religious sacrament. Without social acknowledge-
ment the sexual relation is referred as improper and immoral.

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