MARRIAGE AS A SOCIAL

INSTITUTION
Steven L. Nock
• Marriage is an institution because the relationship between the
couples is recognised by social and legal law as a means of meeting
social, economic, physical, and family requirements, and it serves
many functions for a community like other institutions
• About the Author:
• Steven 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.
• Summary:

• Marriage is the union of two spouses who are bound by legal, moral, and
traditional obligations and have a variety of deep personal bonds and social
links. It is a structured framework that integrates with other institutions
such as family, education, economy, law, and politics. In many ways, the
connection between couples is governed by rules, and they exist inside soft
borders to follow the patterns. Marriage is distinguished from all other
types of partnerships by its soft boundaries or permitted bounds of
behaviour. The institution of marriage distinguishes married couples from
other partners. They form part of a large system of well-understood
concepts that assist in the organization and maintenance of lives after
marriage.
• For males, marriage is extremely important since it gives their lives
structure and arranges their goals. Dr Stephen backs this argument
with a quote from Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist. Emile
believes that marriage prevents suicide by legitimizing demands for
happiness, comfort, luxury, and prestige. Suicide rates are lower
among married persons than among unmarried ones. Men become
better citizens as a result of marriage, and it aids them in discovering
their life’s purpose. Unbounded longings and desires are controlled by
marriage. Marriage binds a man to the same woman for the rest of
his life to satisfy his needs for love and moral equilibrium. He neglects
other pleasures, performs his duties, limits his desires, and finds
contentment in his own family as a result of marriage.
• Unmarried Cohabitation widely known as Living Together is becoming
more common by the day. Unmarried cohabitation is a situation in which
two people live together but are not married. It is on the rise because the
partners can live a joyful and happy life free of the restrictions of marriage,
without having to abide by established and approved bounds, with
incredible freedom of choice, and without being constrained by a wide
variety of conventions and laws. Their relationship, however, is not widely
accepted or legal since they do not adhere to traditional norms, such as
behavioural restrictions, no commitment to each other, no identity, and no
institutional relationship. As husband and wife, a married couple follows
patterns, customs, and rules and receives acceptance from everyone. They
happily announce one other as husband and wife. Laws, religion, and
conventions all safeguard their relationship.
• Aside from that, marriage serves as a form of social capital. It depicts
interpersonal relationships. It establishes a link between trustworthiness
and confidence. The foundation of the new connection is trust and belief.
New relations are introduced to the husband and wife. The relationship is
necessary, and it necessitates assistance and support in times of need.
Social capital benefits individuals. Individuals with high social capital are
inserted into networks that facilitate the exchange of valued knowledge
and information among all members. Social norms and social sanctions
(honour, position, etc.) support such networks by promoting some
activities while limiting others. Marriage is a valuable individual asset, but
it is more difficult to maintain because it is only a relationship with one
another.
• Marriage distinguishes itself qualitatively from other types of
relationships due to its soft boundaries. The numerous normative
marriage rules define the relationship because adult individuals have
options in their spouses, heterosexual relationships; husbands will be
the primary earners, partners will be sexually faithful to each other,
and they will become legitimate parents of their children. Law,
religion, and customs all safeguard their relationship. Because of
suitably channelled habits and aspirations, it is a sort of social control.
There is a shared sentiment amongst others. Marital relations surpass
all other types of personal relationships.
• Understanding the text

• Answer the following questions.

• a. According to the author, what is marriage?

• ➜ 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?

• ➜ 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?

• ➜ 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?

• ➜ 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?

• ➜ 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?

• ➜ 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.

• ➜ A normative marriage is one that is built on pre-established standards and

values. For example, in the United States, the six elements that characterise
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.

• ➜ 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?

• ➜ 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 practises 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 practises
differing 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.
• Reference beyond the text
• b. Is marriage a social institution? Discuss.

• ➜ The concept of marriage varies depending on the individual, his philosophy and his way of
thinking. Marriage is often defined as a legal partnership between two persons of different sexes
who have a personal relationship, residential cohabitation, economic cooperation, the
development of a nuclear family, the birth of children, and the satisfaction of sexual needs. It is
considered an institution because it adheres to established law; customs, patterns, and norms
that are significant to society. People establish such institutions to lawfully satisfy their wants
from various people, places, and objects. People of all sexes fulfil their needs and goals through
being accepted into society and adhering to social norms and values. Marriage is a worldwide
occurrence. It has been practised in every country, society, and tribe since the dawn of human
civilisation. It is eternal and will exist till the end of human civilization. Marriage is a dynamic term
since the marriage system of the past is not the same as the marriage system of today. Child
marriage was once lawful, but it is no longer; widow marriage is now legal, and transgender
marriage is also legal. It grants legal privileges such as birth certificates and citizenship to children
born outside of a married couple, and it is recognised by religion, government, and other social
organisations.