Marriage as a Social Institution

- Stephen L. Nock

Stephen L. Nock (March 11, 1950 – January 26, 2008) was a researcher, author, and the Commonwealth Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia. He wrote extensively on the role of marriage in society and worked in the Federal Department of Health and Human Services as a consultant on American family policy. He authored textbooks and articles about the causes and consequences of change in the American family. He investigated issues of privacy, unmarried fatherhood, cohabitation, commitment, divorce, and marriage. His book, Marriage in Men's Lives won the William J. Good Book Award from the American Sociological Association for the most outstanding contribution to family scholarship in 1999. In this essay, the author examines the national marriage debate by reviewing the social and demographic trends that have changed the role of marriage and the family. He views that marriage and parenthood are private matters, relevant only to the individuals directly involved. He points out the programs that have strengthened marital relationships, lowered divorce rates, reduced out-of-wedlock births, and encouraged responsible fatherhood.

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In ‘Marriage as a Social Institution’ by Stephen L. Nock essay, the author examines the national marriage debate by reviewing the social and demographic trends that have changed the role of marriage and the family. He views that marriage and parenthood are private matters, relevant only to the individuals directly involved. He points out the various programs that have strengthened marital relationships, lowered divorce rates, reduced out-of-wedlock births, and encouraged responsible fatherhood.

Marriage as a social institution is a politically and socially contentious topic in the essay, and it is examined carefully as a major social structure that impacts males. Writer asserts that the position of spouse has a special significance in men’s life. The institution of traditional marriage helps men develop their manhood as they get older. In a marriage, a guy grows, maintains, and shows his masculine identity.

Marriage is the union of two people who are legally, morally, and socially linked by various personal and societal connections. Husbands as the household’s leader, fidelity/monogamy, and parenting are all characteristics of a normal marriage. Couples react to each other, culture, society, and the rules and values that define them as a unit since they are life partners. Married males, in particular, had greater physical and mental health than married women.

In terms of fundamental aspects of accomplishment, involvement in public social life, well-being, comfort, luxury, and swagger, marriage transforms men. It’s a framework modeled after other institutions like the family, education, economics, law, and politics, among others.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. According to the author, what is marriage?

Answer: According to the author, Marriage is the union of spouses who are tied by legal, moral, and traditional assumptions and have a variety of close personal relationships and associations.

b. How is marriage an institution?

Answer: Marriage is an institution because the relationship between the couples is recognised by law as a means of meeting social, economic, physical, and family requirements, and it is linked to other institutions such as education, the economy, and politics.

c. What are the rules that a marriage has?

Answer: Marriage has a large set of well-understood rules that help in the planning and maintenance of the spouses’ life.

d. Why does marriage matter to men?

Answer: Marriage matters to men because it provides structure to their lives and organizes their goals and ambitions.

e. What is one of the central problems in modern society?

Answer: One of the central problems in modern society is putting various legitimate boundaries around modern individuals’ seemingly limitless desires for well-being, comfort, luxury, and prestige.

f. What does social capital consist of?

Answer: Social capital consists of a large network of people who are linked by a bond of trustworthiness and trust.

g. What is normative marriage? Explain.

Answer: A normative marriage is one that is built on pre-established standards and values. For example, in the United States, the six elements that characterize normative marriage are: marriages are entered willingly by mature, heterosexual adults, husbands as primary earners, sexual faithfulness of partners, and parenthood.

Reference to the Context

a. Discuss six dimensions that define normative marriage in America.

Answer: Marriage exists everywhere, although the concept of marriage varies by location. Every civilization has its own set of marital traditions and values. Whatever it is, it allows two adults of opposite sexes the legal right to live as life partners, satisfying each other’s desires. Every marriage, in every area, follows norms and patterns, and the same is true in the United States. In America, the structured marriage known as normative marriage has six dimensions. The first point to mention is that marriage is entirely voluntary. Nobody is putting any pressure on you to marry. It is up to individuals to make their own decisions. Adults are capable of managing their marriages. The marriage must be heterosexual (opposite sexes). The husband will be the primary earner after marriage. They must support their families. Both spouses must be faithful to one another, especially when it comes to sexual behaviour and it is only after they marry that they become parents to their children.

b. Do marriages differ according to culture? How is your marriage practice different from marriage in America?

Answer: Marriage practices differ from culture to culture as well as from one place to another. Not only are there disparities across the country, but there are also variations within a country. Even within our country, the marriage practices of one geographic place differ from those of others. However, the Hindu religion is practised by the vast majority of Nepalese people. Marriage, in our opinion, is a social, spiritual, cultural, and legal connection between a man and a woman as husband and wife. It is also the beginning of a relationship between two families.

Our marriage practices differ from those in the United States because we adhere to Hindu tradition, whereas the United States adheres to Christian tradition. The wedding ceremony is held in a religious place known as a church, and it is officiated by a religious leader. The bride and groom exchange church-provided vows declaring their love and commitment to one another. The officiant asks the attendees if they have any suggestions for why the couple should not be married. If no one objections, the couple swaps rings to represent their unending love and devotion to one another. With their first kiss, the pair declares themselves husband and wife in public for the first time.

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Marriage as a Social Institution

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