Marriage as a Social Institution Exercise Class 12 English: Question Answers

Marriage as a Social Institution Exercise Question Answers PDF Class 12 English Book

Understanding the Text

Answer the following Questions.

a. According to the author, what is marriage?

Ans: Marriage is the union of two people who are legally, morally, and culturally linked together and have a wide range of intimate personal relationships.

b. How is marriage an institution?

Ans: - Marriage is considered as institution because marriage is a social and legal structure that serves many social, economical, moral, lawful, political, psychological and biological functions for a community.

c. What are the rules that a marriage has?

Ans: Marriage is a complex set of principles that guarantee the rights of the spouses to each other and the rights of children within a society.

d. Why does marriage matter to men?

Ans: - Marriage matters to men because it gives them direction in life and helps them achieve their goals.

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

Ans: - In contemporary civilization, a major issue is putting reasonable limits on modern people's insatiable demands for well-being, luxury, opulence, and renown.

f. What does a social capital consist of?

Ans: - Social capital is made up of a vast network of people who are all connected together by a common connection of reliability and trustworthiness.

g. What is normative marriage?

Ans: - Normative marriage is the marriage which follows social norms and values. The six characteristics of normative marriage in the United States are, for example: marriages are joined freely by mature, heterosexual individuals; husbands are the primary earners; partners are sexually faithful; and parents are involved.

Reference to the Context

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

Ans: - The six characteristics of normative marriage in the United States are, for example: marriages are joined freely by mature, heterosexual individuals; husbands are the primary earners; partners are sexually faithful; and parents are involved. Every union adheres to a set of rules and patterns, and this is no different in the United States. The idea of getting married is not pushed on you by anybody. In America, the type of marriage called as normative marriage follows six characteristics. The first point to make is that getting married is a personal choice. Both spouses must be loyal to one another, especially when it comes to sexual activity. The marital relationship must be heterosexual (opposite sexes). And it is only after getting married that they are able to have children of their own. Marriage occurs all throughout the world, although the definition varies from area to area. Every culture has its own set of marital rules and ideals. Whatever it is, it allows two people of opposite sexes the legal right to live together as life partners and satisfy each other's wishes. Adults are capable of managing their own marriages. Husbands will take over as the primary breadwinners after marriage. They're responsible for supporting large families.

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

Ans: - I am hindu and in Hinduism, here are certain norms and values to be followed in marriage ceremony. For us, marriage is a social, spiritual, cultural and legal union between a man and a woman as husband and wife. However, the majority of people in Nepal practice marriage ceremony according to Hindu religion.  It is also establishment of relation between two families. The differences can be observed not only across the country but there are varieties within a country. 

Marriage practices differ place to place. The marriage practices of one geographic location are different to other even in our country. Because we adhere to Hindu tradition while the United States adheres to Christian tradition, our marriage rituals vary from those in the West. In US, Church-provided vows are used by the bride and groom to declare their undying love and devotion to one another. He(one who mediates in marriage) then goes around the room and asks everyone if they can think of anything that would stop this pair from getting married. If no one disagrees, the couple will exchange rings as a sign of their unending love and devotion to one another. With their first kiss, the pair publicly proclaims themselves as husband and wife for the first time. A religious authority officiates at the wedding ceremony, which takes place in a religious structure called a church, however in Hinduism, marriage are done through the traditional or residential houses or even in Hindu temples.

Reference beyond the text 

a. Write an essay on the marriage practice in your own culture.

I belong to Hindu religion, and we have our own rules of marriage. There are various types of marriage in our societies, including monogamy, in which one person is allowed to have only one spouse, serial monogamy, in which one spouse remarries after the death or divorce of the first spouse, polygamy, in which one person has multiple spouses, polyandry, in which one wife has multiple husbands, and polygyny, in which one husband has multiple wives, endogamy, in which one marriage is within a group, and exogamy, in which one The idea of marriage is evolving rapidly. For example, our culture today accepts transgender marriage, a relationship that was formerly taboo. Marriage is more than just a way to satisfy a sexual urge between two adults of different sexes.

No one in our culture considers marriage to be a social contract. It's a legally recognized union between a mature man and a mature woman for reproduction, pleasure, and social obligations. A girl's and a boy's party organize an engagement. Before choosing one another, the couples exchange rings and garlands. In this event, family priests chant mantra and perform rites. The wedding date is also fixed the same day. At the day of marriage, The bridegroom is followed by a musical ensemble named 'Janti.' 'Saipata', a group of women bearing trays full of food and gifts, leads Janti. On that day, the bride's family priests perform the wedding ceremony at her house. The whole procession passes through the groom's home's Mandap or Jagey. 

In Hinduism, the Pandit, or priest, is the most respected person. The priest instructs numerous actions in the Mandap's center holy fire. The bridegroom pours vermillion powder on her head and puts a holy necklace around her neck in addition to the seven times around the sacred fire. The most apparent indications of a married lady are 'Sindur' crimson face powder and 'Pote' holy jewelry. Everyone in the family and society wished them luck on their marriage. The bride will leave her parents' home at the end of the day. This is the movie's most emotional scene. Most of the bride's family members cried as they left. The newlyweds are warmly welcomed at the bridegroom's household. A huge throng has gathered to watch the new bridegroom, who has ceased singing and dancing. So the newlyweds start a new life together.

There are different methods of marriage from culture to culture. However, in every marriages, People of both sexes satisfy their wants and aspirations through being accepted into society and adhering to societal norms and values. In the past, child marriage was acceptable, but not anymore. Widow marriage is now allowed, and transgender marriage is now lawful, giving the offspring born to the married pair legal privileges such as birth registration and citizenship certification.

Definition of marriage as a social institution differs from people to people. The idea of marriage is fluid because of the differences between the traditional marital system and the one in use today. Generally speaking, a marriage is described as a legally binding union between two individuals of different sexes who have a personal connection, live together as a couple, work together, have children, and satisfy each other's sexual needs. 

The term "marriage" has been defined precisely by sociologists. Since the dawn of human civilisation, it has been practiced by every nation, every community, and every group. It will last till the end of human civilization, since it is eternal. Institutions like this are set up by people to lawfully meet their demands from various persons, places, and things. We see it as a formal entity due to its adherence to long-established rules, customs, patterns and conventions that are critical to a society's well-being. In every culture, people marry each other.

Also Read:Summary of Marriage as a Social Institution by Stephen L. Nock

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