Perspectives of Marriage as a Social Institution

Marriage is a fundamental social institution, and "The exclusive commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures love and mutual support; it brings stability to our society" (Spalding and Loconte, 2003). This was the definition given by Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court when the question of gay marriage came before the court. She went on to add that, "For those who choose to marry, and for their children, marriage provides an abundance of legal, financial, and social benefits. In turn, it imposes weighty legal, financial, and social obligations."

Ideally, the institution of marriage is used to regulate heterosexual behavior and the resulting procreation, ensuring a stable family structure in which children will be reared, educated and socialized (Dulle, 2004). The partners in marriage are expected to engage in exclusive sexual relations, most likely resulting in children, and with their paternity presumed to be that of the husband. Children learn their place in the world from the family who raised them and learn about the world and how to interact with it. The institution of marriage is supposed to encourage parents to remain committed to each other and to their children as they grow, encouraging a stable venue for the education and socialization of the children.

Functionalism is the oldest and most dominant theoretical perspective on sociology, and its main proponents were Emile Durkhe

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ch were made to keep the status quo rather than to seek justice), and so the workers were exploited at every level and kept in their place by their lack of control over any aspect of society. These conditions, Marx felt, led to inherent conflict and instability in society. The symbolic interactionist perspective began with Max Weber, and was followed up by George H. Mead and Herbert Blumer (Symbolic, 2004). Symbolic interactionists focus on the subjective aspects of social life, looking at individuals rather than objective, macro-structural aspects. They base their theoretical perspective on an image of individuals rather than an image of society, believing individuals are pragmatic actors, continually readjusting their behavior to the actions of others. They believe that humans rehearse alternative courses of action before taking action. This is possible, they believe, because humans can think about, and react to themselves as symbolic objects. They believe that society consists of organized and patterned interactions between individuals. They shift attention away from stable norms and values to an ever-changing, continually readjusting social process. Symbolic interactionists view humans as actors on a stage, taking on

Category: Psychology - P