The act of marriage normally creates a legal obligation between the individuals involved and any child they either produce or adopt. In general, most states recognize and limit marriage to opposite-sex individuals. Some nations do not identify locally performed religious on its own but also needs a separate civil marriage for official reasons. Couples may marry for various reasons that include social, financial, emotional, as well as spiritual purposes. Currently, in global developed parts, there is a general trend in ensuring equal rights within marriage. An organization, state, local community, religious authority, or tribal groups can recognize a marriage. According to Witte (2015), there are two distinctive types of marriage. These primary types include the monogamy and the polygamy where monogamy if a form of marriage where a person has only one partner throughout their lifetime. On the other hand, polygamy marriage includes more than two partners where men marry more than one wife at a time. This paper focuses on the following aspects of marriage that is incest and exogamy as well as divorce.
‘ Incest’ is referred to sexual contact with a relative but different cultures define their kin and thus incest differently ( Kottak, 2011) . In the current society, there are set laws that pertain incest or social restraint in marriages. In case these laws are broken or not observed, therefore incest taboos are inevitable. Marriage involves sex so anyone can marry only someone with whom sex is allowed. Beside kinship, other considerations that restrict sexual access include the range of sexual acts and age. Many communities distinguish between two types of cousins ( Turner & Maryanski, 2015) . The cross cousins can be described as children of a sister and a brother while those from two brothers or sisters are parallel cousins. In communities with unilineal moieties, cross cousins belong to the opposite group. Sex with a cross-cousin is not incestuous since they are not considered relative.
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’ Exogamy’ is the practice and custom of finding a mate outside one’s group (Kottak, 2011). Sexual contact concerning cross relative normally members of the same nuclear family is discouraged by most societies. A type of exogamy known as dual exogamy allows two groups to engage in continuous wife exchange. Exogamy has a scientific benefit in that the genetic diversity of the children improves their chances of survival and improves their reproduction. In tribal societies, the importance of dual exogamy enabled the marriage union to last for several generations and eventually unite groups originally unrelated by blood ( Fison, 2017) . Exogamy was initiated to stop marriage between blood relation especially between sister and brother that was common in the earlier state of evil. According to Erdei (2014), groups that engage in exogamy would thrive while those that failed would perish. The exchange of women or men provided a uniting force between groups. Conclusively, incest and exogamy are two distinguishable features that have contributed massively to the dynamics of the genetic existence of human being.
On the other hand, the ease of participating in a divorce varies from one culture to another. According to Hetherington (2014), marriages conducted through political alliances are harder to dissolve than marriages performed through personal affairs. Cultural gifts to some societies contribute to less divorce rate for people thus replacing marriage reunions. In comparison to patrilineal societies, divorce is more rampant in matrilineal communities. The cancellation or termination of marital unions dissolve the bond of marriage between married individuals through the set rules of a particular nation, and it is termed as the reorganization of a legal duty and responsibly. In many states across the globe, the process of divorce needs a suction of a court or any other authority that deals with legal processes. In case of dissolution of marriage, particular factors are considered. These factors range from child custody, spousal and child support, child access to parenting time to the distribution of property between the initial united partners. Divorce is well distinguished from annulment of marriage where marriage may be declared null and void through legal proceedings.
The background for a divorce is the inability or refusal of an individual to conduct an obligation outlined in the marriage contract, which constitutes a base for a divorce from another partner. Although divorce laws are different from one state to the other and reflecting different cultural and legal traditions, a constant factor is that divorce is only obtained in case of ” irretrievable marriage breakdown.” Available literature shows that the number of divorces is higher in polygamous unions as compared to a monogamous relationship where conjugal stabilities are within the wife’s order. It is evident that cross-culture the high rate of divorce can be corrected by promoting a secure female economic position. Alongside other factors, obligations to kids and economic ties keep marriages in position after romance, sex or companionship fades. In United States divorce decreases in economic bad times but with more women, working outside their homes, the economic dependence of a man is weakened thus facilitating a decision to divorce in times of major family challenges.
Conclusively, significance social changes in western culture have greatly changed the demographics of marriage. It has facilitated to people running towards polygamous marriage and increasing divorce thus many couples have opted to cohabit rather than entering into a marriage contract. The dynamic of people from incest to exogamy has widely contributed to the genetic formation of offspring and reduced the inherited disorders within nations. It is important to consider legal changes to improve the rights of spouses as blinded by the marriage contract.
Reference
Erdei, E. (2014). Choosing Each Other: Exogamy in the Jewish Community of Buenos Aires.
Fison, L. (2017). Kamilaroi and Kurnai: group-marriage and relationship, and marriage by elopement . BoD–Books on Demand.
Hetherington, E. M. (Ed.). (2014). Coping with divorce, single parenting, and remarriage: A risk and resiliency perspective . Psychology Press.
Turner, J. H., & Maryanski, A. (2015). Incest: Origins of the taboo . Routledge.
Witte, J. (2015). The Western case for monogamy over polygamy . Cambridge University Press.
