Can the tradition of arranged marriages survive through the 21st century? The article “Love and Arranged Marriage in India Today: Negotiating Adulthood” by Nancy S. Netting discusses the current state of arranged marriage in an increasingly westernized society. The author uses two sociological theories to address this topic, Modernization theory and Neo-traditionalism. The article produces valid points to prove the estimates of both theories . The modern view on arranged marriage is that parents still play a crucial role in the relationship but are focusing more on education and occupation of the significant other, rather than caste system and reputation. While Neo-traditionalism is still present it is diminishing, premarital virginity is
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The Modernization theory believes that arranged marriage will not be able to compete with the Western ideology of individualism and the need for romantic love. The Neo-traditionalists estimate that individualism will challenge the traditional collectivist ideology of Indian culture and as a result the Indian youth will want to protect their family and religion and perpetuate the use of customs such as arranged marriage. The open-ended interviews done as research for this article brought to light the fact that arranged marriages are still prevalent but are slowly changing with the times. The use of open-ended interviewing is an efficient choice of gathering information as the subjects can answer freely and the interviewer has room to probe further into their answers. The only issue that can be found in interviewing is the subject may answer based on social desirability rather than their true feelings. Certain external factors may be influencing their responses and therefore it can taint the validity of the research (Passer, Smith, Atkinson, Mitchell & Muir, 2014). This article accurately explains the cultural importance and criteria for an arranged marriage in India. It also allows the reader to understand the process of courting, engagement and marriage within this culture. The article has been written with a slight bias to modernization. It would have made a stronger argument if the author …show more content…
I was completely unaware of these underground systems that Indian youth are using in order to fulfill their need for dating or a romantic relationship. The article helped me realize that the world as a whole is becoming far more modernized. If traditional countries like India have the ability to evolve with modern changes then I believe other third world countries can adopt a modern mentality and make allowances for future generations to have more individual choice. Domestic disturbances are all too common in arranged marriages. Recently “Bride burning” - acid attacks, gas dousing and lighting the bride of a man on fire as defined by The Centre for Global Initiatives, have been brought to the attention of the western world. These heinous acts occur because the woman does not conform to the needs of the man that has been chosen for her to marry (Welsh, 2009). These occurrences are happening right under our noses, in our own communities here in Canada. Being in the criminal justice field, It is a very real possibility that I may have to deal with such issues. Through my studies, I would hope to gain an in-depth understanding of the socio-cultural issues that affect human
The Modernization theory believes that arranged marriage will not be able to compete with the Western ideology of individualism and the need for romantic love. The Neo-traditionalists estimate that individualism will challenge the traditional collectivist ideology of Indian culture and as a result the Indian youth will want to protect their family and religion and perpetuate the use of customs such as arranged marriage. The open-ended interviews done as research for this article brought to light the fact that arranged marriages are still prevalent but are slowly changing with the times. The use of open-ended interviewing is an efficient choice of gathering information as the subjects can answer freely and the interviewer has room to probe further into their answers. The only issue that can be found in interviewing is the subject may answer based on social desirability rather than their true feelings. Certain external factors may be influencing their responses and therefore it can taint the validity of the research (Passer, Smith, Atkinson, Mitchell & Muir, 2014). This article accurately explains the cultural importance and criteria for an arranged marriage in India. It also allows the reader to understand the process of courting, engagement and marriage within this culture. The article has been written with a slight bias to modernization. It would have made a stronger argument if the author …show more content…
I was completely unaware of these underground systems that Indian youth are using in order to fulfill their need for dating or a romantic relationship. The article helped me realize that the world as a whole is becoming far more modernized. If traditional countries like India have the ability to evolve with modern changes then I believe other third world countries can adopt a modern mentality and make allowances for future generations to have more individual choice. Domestic disturbances are all too common in arranged marriages. Recently “Bride burning” - acid attacks, gas dousing and lighting the bride of a man on fire as defined by The Centre for Global Initiatives, have been brought to the attention of the western world. These heinous acts occur because the woman does not conform to the needs of the man that has been chosen for her to marry (Welsh, 2009). These occurrences are happening right under our noses, in our own communities here in Canada. Being in the criminal justice field, It is a very real possibility that I may have to deal with such issues. Through my studies, I would hope to gain an in-depth understanding of the socio-cultural issues that affect human