Forms of Marriage

Marriage is one of the social institutions. It is established by the human society to control and regulate the sex life of man in a culturally defined and socially approved way. It permits a man and a woman to live together as husband and wife. Marriage is not a biological affair but also a social affair. It is a social permission given to a man and a woman to live together with certain rights and obligations.

Definitions:

According to Malinowski, "Marriage is a contract for the production and maintenance of children." According to Gillin and Gillin, "Marriage is a socially approved way of establishing a family of procreation." H. M. Jonson viewed, "Marriage is a stable relationship in which a man and a woman are socially permitted, without a loss of standing in community, to have children."

A dictionary of Sociology defines marriage as "an institution that sanctions the relationship of a man and a woman and bids them in a system of mutual obligation as husband and wife and rights essential to the functioning of family life."

Forms or Types of Marriage:

Marriage is a universal social institution. It puts restrictions on premarital and extramarital sex relationship. The form of marriage varies from society to society. The main forms of marriage are -

(1) Monogamy
(2) Polygamy
(3) Group marriage
(4) Preferential marriage.

(1) Monogamy:

Monogamy, the most widespread form of marriage is found among the primitive as well as the civilized people. Monogamy is a form of marriage in which one man marries one woman. This marriage lasts till death. The union is unbreakable. Monogamy minimizes jealousy, hatred, quarrels etc. in the family. Monogamy is regarded as the most ideal form of marriage.

(2) Polygamy:

Polygamy is a plural marriage including more than one spouse at the same time. It is also divided into two types:

(a) Polyandry and (b) Polygyny.

1. PolyandryPolyandry is the marriage of one woman with several men. It is practised among the Tibetans, the Bahama of Africa, the tribals of Sarcoa and others. The Nayars of Kerala were polyandrous previously. Polyandry is often practised due to poverty and heavy bride price. Among the Jodo, property considerations have also caused polyandry. This polyandrous form of marriage is of two types:

(a) Fraternal polyandryWhen several brothers share the same wife, it is called fraternal polyandry. The wife goes to spend sometime with each husband. The marriage of Draupadi with the Pandava brothers is an example of fraternal polyandry.

(b) Non-fraternal polyandryWhen a woman marries several men who are not brothers it is called non-fraternal polyandry. They may be even persons living in different villages.

2. Polygyny

Polygyny is a form of marriage in which one man marries more than one woman at a time. Polygyny is more popular than polyandry. It exists in all parts of the world. A number of women not only increase man's wealth but also his importance, reputation and authority. Barenness of women, limited male population, index of high social position etc. are regarded as the main causes of polygyny.

Polygyny is also of two types-

(a) Sororal, and
(b) Non-sororal.

(a) SororalIt is a type of marriage in which the wives are invariably the sisters. It is found among the tribes which pay a high bride price.

(b) Non-SororalIt is a type of marriage in which the wives are not related as sisters.

For social, economic, political and other reasons both types are practiced by people.

(3) Group marriage:

Group marriage means the marriage of two or more women with two or more men. This form of marriage is described as the worst form of marriage because it only occurs for sexual relationship.

(4) Preferential marriage:

It is of three types: cousin marriage, levirate and sororate.

Levirate
It is popularly known as devar vivah. In this type of marriage after the death of the husband the wife marries her husband's brother. It is found among the Gond, Munda, and the Oraon etc.

Sororate
In this type after the death of wife, the husband marries one of the sisters of his wife. When a man marries his wife's younger sister, it is called junior sororate and when he marries elder sisters of his wife, it is called senior sororate.

Meaning and Characteristics of Marriage

Definition of Marriage:

Marriage is one of the universal social institutions. It is established by the human society to control and regulate the sex life of man. It is closely connected with the institution of family. In fact, family and marriage are complementary to each other. As Gillin and Gillin have said, "Marriage is a socially approved way of establishing a family of procreation".

As Westermarck has remarked, "Marriage is rooted in the family rather than the family in the marriage". Marriage is an institution of society which can have very different implications in different cultures. Its purposes, functions and forms may differ from society to society, but it is present everywhere as an institution.

There is no definition which adequately covers all types of human marriage. It has given a number of definitions and explanations among which the following may be noted.

(i) Edward Westermarck in his "History of Human Marriage" defines marriage as "the more or less durable connection between male and female lasting beyond the mere act of propagation till after the birth of offspring".

(ii) Malinowski says that marriage is a "contract for the production and maintenance of chil­dren".

(iii) According to Robert H. Lowie, "Marriage is a relatively permanent bond between permis­sible mates".

(iv) Broadly speaking, however, marriage may be defined as "a socially sanctioned sex rela­tionship involving two or more people of the opposite sex, whose relationship is expected to endure beyond the time required for gestation and the birth of children".-Duncan Mitchell's "A dictionary of Sociology".

(v) Alfred McClung Lee writes, "Marriage is the public joining together, under socially speci­fied regulations of a man and woman as husband and wife".

Characteristics of Marriage:

 

1. Universality

Marriage is more or less a universal institution. It is found among the pre-literate as well as literate peoples. It is enforced as a social rule in some of the societies.

Examples:
In Japan, celibacy is publicly condemned. In Korea, unmarried individuals are called 'half persons. Among the Hindus, marriage is a sacrament which is regarded as more or less obligatory. The Todas of Nilagiri refuse to perform funeral rites for a girl if she dies before her marriage. But they do perform it after completing some sort of marriage ceremony for the corpse.

According to the Chi­nese philosopher Confucius, an individual who remains unmarried throughout his life commits a great crime. As Levi-Strauss has observed that the unmarried primitives of Central Brazil are made to lead a miserable life.

2. Relationship between Man and Woman:

Marriage is a union of man and woman. It indicates relationship between one or more men to one or more women. Who should marry whom? One should marry how many?-are the questions which represent social rules regarding marriage which differ significantly.

3. Marriage Bond is enduring:

Marriage indicates a long lasting bond between the husband and wife. Hence it is not coextensive with sex life. It excludes relationships with prostitutes or any other sexual relationship which is viewed as casual and not sanctioned by custom, law or church.

Marital relationship between man and woman lasts even after the sexual satisfaction is obtained. The Hindus, for example, believe that marriage is a sacred bond between the husband and wife which even the death cannot break.

4. Marriage Requires Social Approval:

A union of man and woman becomes a marital bond only when the society gives its approval. When marriage is given the hallmark of social approval, it becomes a legal contract.

5. Marriage is Associated with Some Civil or Religious Ceremony:

Marriage gets its social recognition through some ceremony. This ceremony may have its own rites, rituals, customs, for­malities, etc. It means marriage has to be concluded in a public and solemn manner.

Sometimes it receives as a sacrament the blessings of religion. Marriage among the Hindus, for example, is re­garded as a sacrament. It is connected with rituals such as - Homa, Saptapadi, Panigrahana, Mangalya- Dharana, etc.

6. Marriage Creates Mutual Obligations:

Marriage imposes certain rights and duties on both the husband and wife. Both are required to support each other and their children.

Functions of Family

The Family:

The family, almost without question, is the most important one of any of the groups that human experience offers. We join other groups for long or short period of time for the satisfaction of some interests. But the family is always with us or rather we are with it.

Really, family is a unique social institution for which there is no substitute. It is the most permanent and most pervasive of all social institutions. The word 'family' has come from Latin word 'famulus' which means the servant. The family is a small group consisting of father, mother, one or more children and some relatives.

Maclver defined family as "a group defined by sex relationship sufficiently precise, and enduring to provide for the procreation and upbringing of children.”

Eliot says" Family is the biological social unit composed of husband, wife and children."

Nimkoff says "Family is a more or less durable association of husband and wife with or without child, or of a man or woman alone, with children."

Functions of the Family:

Family is the most important primary group in society. It is an outstanding primary group, because the child develops its basic attitudes in the family. Family, as a social institution performs several functions.

Maclver classifies its functions into two types: (1) Essential or primary and (2) non-essential or secondary.

Essential / Primary Functions

The essential functions of family are:

(1) Stable Satisfaction of Sex need:

This is the Primary and essential function of family. Sex instinct is the natural urge of human being. The satisfaction of this need requires that both male and female should live together as life partners. It is the family where the husband and wife can satisfy their sex instincts easily and comfortably. Without family the satisfaction of sex need is almost socially quite impossible. A family not only satisfies but also provides the appropriate mechanism through marriage to regulate sexual behavior of husband and wife.

(2) Reproduction or procreation:

Reproduction or procreation is another essential function of family. The family along with regulating the sexual behavior in relation to the satisfaction of sexual needs secures a legitimate basis for procreation. Since the inception of family, it has been performing this fundamental function. This function of family contributes to the continuity of family and ultimately perpetuates the human race as a whole.

(3) Protection and care of the young:

Protection and care of the children is another essential function of family. It is regarded as an institution par excellence for the production and rearing of children. It is true that no other institution can take required care of the child like family. The child at birth is complete helpless and cannot survive at all without the help of the family. It is the family which provides care, protection, security (Physical, mental) and fulfills all other needs to make him fit in the society.

(4) Socializing Functions:

Family is one of the primary agents of socialization. Family members teach the child the norms, value morals, beliefs and ideals of society. In the family the children first learn what is good and bad, what is right and wrong. They develop specific habits, traits of character, attitudes and values. The senior members of the family pass the family culture to the new generation thought socialization process. Thus, family acts an instrument of culture transmission.

(5) Provision of a home:

Family makes a provision of a home or a common habitation for its members. Here both husband and if live together for procreation, protection and care of the children. It is a place of multifarious activities. All the members of the family depend on home for comfort, protection and peace. It is that institution which provides the mental or the emotional satisfaction. Members of the family exchange their love, sympathy and affection among themselves.

Non-essential / Secondary Functions

The non-essential functions of family are:

(1) Economic function:

The family fulfils the economic needs of its members. This has been traditional function of family. Family fulfils all the economic needs of its members such as food, clothing, shelter etc. The goods required by its members are produced at home.

(2) Educational function:

Mazzin says, "The first lesson of child is learnt between mother's kiss and father's care". Family is regarded as the first school of children. The family provides the basis for the child's formal learning and gives the child his basic training in the social attitudes and habits.

(3) Religious function:

The family is a centre for the religious training of the children. The family used to teach the children the religious values, moral precepts etc. It is through the family the religious inheritance is passed on to the next generation.

(4) Recreational functions:

Family is the centre of recreation. It serves as a centre of all recreational activities like singing, dancing, playing indoor games etc. The small children are the source of recreation for the elders.

(5) Protective function:

Family always looks after the health of its members both young and old. It takes up the responsibility of its members and maintains sound and good health.