Sciology/ Anthropology - Essay Example

Love has little, if anything, to do with it. In these cultures, marriage is negotiated by the parents of the betrothed. The opinions of the children themselves are generally viewed as being irrelevant. If love becomes a feature of these unions at all, it is expected to be a result and not a cause of the marriage (Robertson 251). The economic components of these unions are especially pronounced in cultures where an intending groom must pay a bride–price to his prospective father-in-law. This tradition is very common in sub-Saharan Africa, where almost all of the tribes expect the groom to trade cattle for the bride (Robertson 251).

Furthermore, although all Western democracies view “normal” marriage as being a union consisting of one man and one wife, polygamy is still very common in developing societies. To Westerners, polygamy is both grossly abnormal and abhorrently sexist. In many parts of the world, however, polygamy is the preferred marital form (Leslie and Korman 26). In these societies, a man is allowed to have more than one wife, “a ratio that reflects the superior power and privileges of the male partner in the family institution” (Robertson 251).

Polygamy is “intimately tied up with economic functioning and status considerations” (Leslie and Korman 26). These notions further illustrate the fact that in traditional societies, marriage is more about economic leveraging than about romantic feelings. Many other non-traditional family structures exist. They include single-parent families, reconstituted families, and childless couples. These options can be quite popular with both men and women. Their popularity stems (again) from dissatisfaction with traditional marriage.

Additional reasons for the breakdown of marriages include stress on the nuclear family, the fading of romantic love, the changing role of women, and