Arranged Marriage

An arranged marriage is one in which a third party, usually parents, suggests or chooses a person's spouse. Arranged marriages were frequently practiced in Biblical times and among the medieval European nobility. Currently, the practice is more common in South Asia, the Middle East, and among orthodox Jewish communities in the US and Europe.

Supporters of the practice say it leads to fewer divorces than the "love match" common in America (see divorce rate). Opponents say that it is contrary to individual liberty.^[1]

There are different types of arranged marriage. In some cases, one or both of the spouses have no choice (see forced marriage). Often a girl is sold into virtual slavery in this way. More commonly, in cultures where parents forbid their children to date, the parents of a man and woman introduce the pair to each other; then the pair decides whether they accept each other.

See also[edit]

• Atheism and marriage

Notes[edit]

1. ↑ Polygamy versus Democracy, Stanley Kurtz, 2006