It’s ironic how we make sure no one knows about our high school or college crush, but some others are just hooked up with a person they have never met with the expectation of getting married to them for the rest of their lives! Arranged marriages entail the families of a man or woman, picking a partner based on culture, family ties and experience as it is perceived to be safer.
Here are seven facts about arranged marriages you should know:
Arranged marriages are not restricted to developing economies
Some communities that partake in this practice may have emigrated to developed economies like the United States, United Kingdom or even Australia. Arranged marriages are common amongst the Muslim community in Nigeria, India, Hindus and the Chinese.
Dating before marriage is non-existent
Dating several people before deciding to get married to one person is seen as a taboo because it encourages and infiltration of impurity, having shared romantic experiences with people who are temporarily in your life.
Different cultures have different marriageable ages
Some communities marry off their daughters from as early as 16 years to older men that may be ten years older than them while other communities wait until their daughters are 18.
It may lead to negative feelings of depression
As a young girl who is being forced to become a woman prematurely, the experience can be very daunting. The young girl misses out on her maturing process, hanging with friends and going for parties like the rest of her age mates.
Arranged marriages may be rejected by the proposed couple
Some communities may facilitate a meeting of the couple, but they ultimately have the chance to reject or accept to be together if they do not foresee being in a relationship with each other. In this case, the proposed couple is closer in age and are mostly young adults.
The use of dating resumes
Dating resumes are used by some families to intervene in the spouse selection process; if a young man or woman does not have certain qualities they are looking for, then the match-making process is aborted.
Arranged marriages in modern day
Online dating helps some communities who practice arranged marriage to narrow down their selection of potential partners for their children because they can select a partner based on location, ethnicity, appearance and every bit of information on their online dating profile.
What do you think of arranged marriages? Does it have more benefits than is obvious or should it become a thing of the past?
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