Conditional Love: The Advantages of Arranged Marriage (in Turkey, China, India) - Essay Example

Nonetheless, there is the glaring fact that couples in arranged marriages face immense cultural and religious pressures that prevent them from quitting their union (Lamanna & Riedmann, 2009). Advantages of Arranged Marriages in Turkey Following Family Structure Research done in 2006, the incidences of forced arranged marriages in Turkey lie at 36.2% for young girls. These results in reproductive health problems, physical violence and psychological health problems as early arranged marriages that young girls are forced into, are more often than not accompanied with cultural practices that involve exchanging of wives among families (Sahin et al, 2010).

However, where the marrying partners are consenting and of an adult age arranged marriages have been shown to be advantageous. In such a scenario, the arranged marriage is arrived at for the primary reason of compatibility- culturally, socially, religiously and ethnically (Fowers et al, 2008). In Turkey, such compatibility is crucial as it allows families to develop a closeness that in turn acts an anchor to the married couples. This is because they are able and willing to support them in times of financial, emotional and physical difficulties as they have a deep understanding of the couples’ background and personalities. . Earlier on, Chinese practiced arranged marriages based on coercion and women were given off at an early age and this made it unsatisfactory (Hershatter, 2004).

Nowadays though, both parties have a say on who they marry and have an opportunity to meet in less formal circumstances. This allows them to get comfortable around each other and possibly develop an attraction (Paludi, 2012). Previously such meetings were frowned upon as marriages were viewed as a means of establishing social cohesiveness among families where the wife’s primary responsibility was to the extended family. Presently, arranged marriages happen in rural areas mostly and under less stringent circumstances (Carroll, 2009).

Advantages of Arranged Marriages in India In 2001, the Singulate Mean Age at Marriage in India was 20.2 years where the two dominant religions- Islam and Hindu are still seen to practice arranged marriages and cases of separation and divorce are quite few. However, it has been noted that school enrolment has increased and this has gone on to affect individual orientation where women shift their attitudes from traditional values, more individual autonomy, rationality and secularization. This implies that dynamics of arranged marriages have slightly changed where women are more insistent on having compatible personalities with their partners and the marriage age is delayed as they choose to get married after school.

There are scenarios where schooling is perceived as an occupying activity before a woman gets married which means that once a suitor is found, it is discontinued. Whichever the case though, arranged marriages are generally successful even nowadays as one is able to meet their