The Road to Marriage — WP1 Rough
What is the one main reason people should think either globally or nationally when it comes to your given issue or context?
As international relationships and ‘international love’ gain popularity and acceptability in society, marriage is becoming a global context. Thus, it’s important to address the road to marriage locally, nationally, and globally because every country, every state, every locality has a different understanding of how two people should end up being married. Friendship. Dating. Living Together. Engaged. Married. A stereotypical western path to marriage. In the east, pairings involve a lot of parental intervention and family matching rather than an emotional connection between the two people being married. However, as we continue to increase the interconnectedness of countries in the world, global marriages gain acceptance and popularity; these marriages are primarily approached using the western road to marriage, thus the western road to marriage must be accepted globally because religion, culture, and our minds propagate that love is our birth right, thus everyone is entitled to finding it themselves without the interference of family or other entities.
Historically, the road to marriage was very simple: one married a girl/boy in their community, primarily locally, and rarely nationally. Global marriage was an unorthodox and unacceptable concept, and people who wanted to marry internationally often eloped. The increase in acceptable global marriages is because of increased globalization through immigration laws, and international education. For example, a study done by the Indian bureau of immigration suggests that every fourth person who goes to the states to study, settles down there and marries someone who is a foreign national. Some people might argue by saying that most Indians that marry abroad marry other “American-Indians” only and thus they are marrying nationally and there’s nothing global about the marriage, but they are wrong because a marriage that transcends political boundaries must be considered international/global. The westernized road to marriage embodies this new era of globalization and bolsters the 21st century mindset — its global acceptance is inevitable and forthcoming.
India and China are two nations in the world where the eastern road to marriage is forced and widely accepted, whereas the western road is unaccepted. Conservatives of these nations argue that religion propagates the eastern road to marriage, however, my Indian heritage has taught me a lot about the 7 vows of a Hindu wedding — the most popular method of marriage in India. The 7 pheras (vows) are: family nourishment, strength, wealth and prosperity, family bond, responsible parenthood, healthy togetherness, and lifetime love. In my opinion, families and conservative priests are extremely hypocritical while they preach versus when they narrate these vows. They say that a global marriage or a marriage unaccepted by family members breaks the togetherness of the family and creates differences, however, the whole concept of family is to stay with your loved ones through thick and thin — therefore if they choose who they want to love a family’s duty is to support their child. This doesn’t mean support your child through wrongdoings or if he’s falling through a pit, it simply means that one’s child has the right to choose their path in life which will lead them to fulfill the 7 vows.
Globally, countries that enforce the eastern road using religion and culture, however, most religions — like Hinduism — propagate a happy, healthy, and stable life and neither of their scriptures propagate ‘arranged marriages’. Yes, I agree, it is easier to acclimate in a new family environment when they are from the same culture as you; marriage life is easier, and the 7 vows are upheld better. One’s parents also understand their child and thus have a great judgement while choosing their child’s partner, hence compatibility rates are also very high. These positives do make the eastern road appealing and acceptable, however, children should be a given a choice on what road to partake and if they choose the eastern way they must be allowed to say ‘no’ to their parent’s choice. Marriage is a global thing, the couple isn’t just married nationally or locally, thus either road must adhere to global laws — primarily freedom of choice. Divorce rates from a forced ‘arranged marriage’ are almost double of love marriages. A parent’s opinion must always be respected, but the final decision must be left on the bride and the groom.
On the other hand, parents in many countries use their power to ‘arrange marriages’ to wed children for corporate benefit. Parents don’t have their child’s best interest at heart — sometimes — and thus children must be allowed to use the western path and figure their lives out themselves. For example, the richest man is Asia married his daughter to another Indian billionaire against his daughter’s will, allegedly for a $30 billion deal. Within a month, they were divorced, and his daughter eloped with an Australian man. People associate eloping with the western road to marriage. Yes, I agree eloping is wrong and goes against all religions or cultures. However, eloping isn’t a stop in the road it is an alternative route that makes it easier for the couple to live a happy life while ignoring the social trauma in their nations. Children are now retaliating that if they don’t get to pick who their love is they have different ways to attain that love for life.
In conclusion, the western and eastern road to marriage have its benefits and negatives, however, with growing globalization the western road is a better fit for global religion and global culture. Until now, this notion was battled using religion, culture, and social norms but the everchanging world has autocorrected itself for the western road to be the global road. Religion and culture have been proved hypothetical, and social norms have been amended. If the eastern road became the global approach to marriage love wouldn’t be love, instead love would be a forced upon transaction. Children might love their parent’s choice and feel that it’s right, but the “what if?” will never leave them throughout their life — leading to cheating or an unhappy married life in the future.
