~797 words (Thesis only)
Marriage, a social institution, is the lifelong union of two partners who are expected to eventually form a family bringing together people related by blood or adoption. Getting married and having children are two ubiquitous phenomena of most societies. However, whilst the established values are fading away, some people ponder: "Why marry and have children?" It would require a close diagnosis of this question to make out the purpose of tying the matrimonial knot as well as bearing children.
In the first place, marrying and parenting are primarily about companionship and stability. Marriage is after all about winning a partner who is reportedly meant to make one feel good about oneself during both good and hard times. Man is a social animal and, of course, having a partner who is either legally, religiously or soulfully bound to him, wards off his fear of loneliness. Additionally, economic stability is procured. For instance, some women in traditional India still get married so as to climb up the social ladder. Today, people look forward to the roseate picture of the media-depicted cereal-packet family: a happy stable couple with at least two children. On top of being seen as a perpetuation of lineage, children are perceived by some parents as an extension of their own childhood. Indeed, according to bio-sociologists, man has two basic primitive instincts: survival and reproduction. It is important to realize that some people revel in upbringing their children as they find their maternal or paternal instincts soothed. Also, the rise of pedagogy cannot be denied. Thus, for some individuals, marriage and children help them get rooted, attributing to them emotional warmth and support.
In the same fashion that a family benefits an individual, society in return has much to gain. It is undeniable that the majority of societies across the world have it preconceived that marriage and children are necessary for the betterment of the whole of humanity. Allowing people to mate monogamously and hence in a less 'barbaric' way, families are staunchly looked up to bring about the rise of new generations. Whilst sociologists note that marrying and procreating make one less of a black sheep; given that common norms, values and goals of society are being followed, theologians contend that the two institutions are highly religious in nature and that these God-sent principles of life to his children have to be blindly followed like ducklings march behind the Mother Duck. Both perspectives illustrate how the obedient human, the one who is accepted within society, remains the one who is a stringent adherent of the pre-written rules. Therefore, the societal system is thus made that individuals are pressurized to stick to the laid out framework of life. In that resides the peaceful interests of both individual, society and most probably God.
By the same token, society both benefits from and encourages marriages. It is undeniable that allowing people to mate monogamously and hence in an apparently less 'barbaric' way, families are staunchly looked up to bring about the rise of future generations. And while sociologists assert that the majority of people marry and have children to probably unconsciously follow the norms, theologians contend the two occurrences are highly religious in nature. Both perspectives illustrate how the obedient social or religious creature abides by the rules so as to be accepted by others. Moreover, society is conceived in such a way so as to encourage people to get married. Most loan packages revolve around the family: housing loans, car loans and children's education loan inter alia. Even income taxes are reduced for couples with children. Moreover, rectifications in the British law some years back that obliged intending-divorcees to stay together for one more year so as to 'make things go right' show how much a wedded life is a prized institution in the eyes of the law. Hence, even the objective houses of justice hold the familial institution at heart.
Finally, with attention to post-modernists' thoughts, where concepts like individualism and altruism tend to devalue marriage and parenthood, certain sub-cultures have today set out to prove that both experiences are worthwhile. A 2005 census shows that 75% of all divorcees in the United Kingdom remarry. This illustrates that partners are not disillusioned by marriage but rather by the previous partner. What is more, 60% of all cohabiting couples ultimately revert to the wedlock. This only reinforces that marriage has an attractive essence. And then, continued fights led by the LGBT community to have their union recognised as one of marriage instead of civil partnership suggests that the purpose of marriage although being reinvented, still holds good. These thought-provoking realities urge us to think about how initially unwilling cohabiting couples, disillusioned divorcees and stigmatised non-heterosexuals are all massively moving towards what they see as a fulfilling institution.
-Antithesis Coming Soon in the General Paper Essays Section.
Marriage, a social institution, is the lifelong union of two partners who are expected to eventually form a family bringing together people related by blood or adoption. Getting married and having children are two ubiquitous phenomena of most societies. However, whilst the established values are fading away, some people ponder: "Why marry and have children?" It would require a close diagnosis of this question to make out the purpose of tying the matrimonial knot as well as bearing children.
In the first place, marrying and parenting are primarily about companionship and stability. Marriage is after all about winning a partner who is reportedly meant to make one feel good about oneself during both good and hard times. Man is a social animal and, of course, having a partner who is either legally, religiously or soulfully bound to him, wards off his fear of loneliness. Additionally, economic stability is procured. For instance, some women in traditional India still get married so as to climb up the social ladder. Today, people look forward to the roseate picture of the media-depicted cereal-packet family: a happy stable couple with at least two children. On top of being seen as a perpetuation of lineage, children are perceived by some parents as an extension of their own childhood. Indeed, according to bio-sociologists, man has two basic primitive instincts: survival and reproduction. It is important to realize that some people revel in upbringing their children as they find their maternal or paternal instincts soothed. Also, the rise of pedagogy cannot be denied. Thus, for some individuals, marriage and children help them get rooted, attributing to them emotional warmth and support.
In the same fashion that a family benefits an individual, society in return has much to gain. It is undeniable that the majority of societies across the world have it preconceived that marriage and children are necessary for the betterment of the whole of humanity. Allowing people to mate monogamously and hence in a less 'barbaric' way, families are staunchly looked up to bring about the rise of new generations. Whilst sociologists note that marrying and procreating make one less of a black sheep; given that common norms, values and goals of society are being followed, theologians contend that the two institutions are highly religious in nature and that these God-sent principles of life to his children have to be blindly followed like ducklings march behind the Mother Duck. Both perspectives illustrate how the obedient human, the one who is accepted within society, remains the one who is a stringent adherent of the pre-written rules. Therefore, the societal system is thus made that individuals are pressurized to stick to the laid out framework of life. In that resides the peaceful interests of both individual, society and most probably God.
By the same token, society both benefits from and encourages marriages. It is undeniable that allowing people to mate monogamously and hence in an apparently less 'barbaric' way, families are staunchly looked up to bring about the rise of future generations. And while sociologists assert that the majority of people marry and have children to probably unconsciously follow the norms, theologians contend the two occurrences are highly religious in nature. Both perspectives illustrate how the obedient social or religious creature abides by the rules so as to be accepted by others. Moreover, society is conceived in such a way so as to encourage people to get married. Most loan packages revolve around the family: housing loans, car loans and children's education loan inter alia. Even income taxes are reduced for couples with children. Moreover, rectifications in the British law some years back that obliged intending-divorcees to stay together for one more year so as to 'make things go right' show how much a wedded life is a prized institution in the eyes of the law. Hence, even the objective houses of justice hold the familial institution at heart.
Finally, with attention to post-modernists' thoughts, where concepts like individualism and altruism tend to devalue marriage and parenthood, certain sub-cultures have today set out to prove that both experiences are worthwhile. A 2005 census shows that 75% of all divorcees in the United Kingdom remarry. This illustrates that partners are not disillusioned by marriage but rather by the previous partner. What is more, 60% of all cohabiting couples ultimately revert to the wedlock. This only reinforces that marriage has an attractive essence. And then, continued fights led by the LGBT community to have their union recognised as one of marriage instead of civil partnership suggests that the purpose of marriage although being reinvented, still holds good. These thought-provoking realities urge us to think about how initially unwilling cohabiting couples, disillusioned divorcees and stigmatised non-heterosexuals are all massively moving towards what they see as a fulfilling institution.
-Antithesis Coming Soon in the General Paper Essays Section.