Marital Differences between India and the United States

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marriages that occur in India and the United States have several dramatic differences. Marriages in India are based solely on parental decisions, whereas in the United States a marriage is based on individualism. Who, why and how the spouse is chosen, is very different in both countries. Most Americans date to discover who their future spouse is going to be, and they know the person very well before marriage. In India, dating is not something that occurs. Most individuals in India do not have any interaction with the bride or groom prior to their wedding day, therefore, they do not personally know who they are marrying (Nanda 624). Though these differences exist, pros and cons reflect on each of them.

In India, most marriages are arranged by the parents of the individual and relatives. Decision-making is based on the parents’ qualifications and what they are wanting out of the future spouse for their son or daughter. Though an arranged marriage is based solely on the parents’ qualifications, it is becoming more prevalent for the son or daughter to ask their parents to look for certain qualifications that they, personally, would prefer. In some situations, the child will ask the parent if they can arrange a marriage with an individual whom they love or have fallen in love with. Most parents have no problem in involving their children in the decision-making when asked to do so. Though children are having more say-so in their arranged marriage, final decisions and most qualifications are based solely on the parents of the individual.

The search for an individual, who matches these qualifications best, can sometimes take years because parents are very decisive in choosing the right spouse. Some parents start the day their child is...

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...just an example of cultural differences and upbringings in these two countries. In India parental decision-making is considered the better way to get a suitable spouse, and in the U.S. being in-love is the better way.

Works Cited

Story? Nanda?McDonald, Ann, and Jack Trotter. World Views: Classic and

Contemporary Readings. Boston: Pearson pages/ Custom Publishing, 2008. Print

"Profile: Tradition of arranged marriages in India." Day To Day. (26 Jan. 2005):

Literature Resource Center. Gale. Trident Technical College. 3 Dec. 2009 .

Thottam, Jyoti "A Suitable Arrangement." ON Magazine 6.1 (2001): 36. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 Dec. 2009.

Sheila B. Lalwani. "Arranged Quite Nicely." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI) 25 Apr 2005: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 03 December 2009.

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