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The Pros and Cons of an Arranged Marriage

In the beginning of preparing this article I had grim views of arranged marriages coming from the western world. Living and growing up in the United States you think to yourself how absolutely insulting and insane it would be for someone to choose whom I should spend the rest of my life with! Yet in other cultures its a welcomed tradition. Countries such as: Africa, Asia, India and even Japan have been practicing this much needed aid in marriage, for many many years. This choice was initially made to better their families, produce a powerful lineage of children, and to keep families together despite of the success of the marriage. All parties including the bride and the groom in majority of the cases are in total agreement of the arrangement. Sons and daughters of these families have been raised knowing that eventually they would be in an arranged marriage and happily take the backseat to allow parents or aunts choose as to whom would be a suitable mate for them. Children are able to meet with prospective partners to see if they like their match. Once the choice is made and the family has settled on any agreements in the process then so goes a wedding.

Now all are not such cases there are instances where women or men can be in what is called a Force Marriage. This is the way that I viewed arranged marriages. And probably the way that most of us living in a freedom of choice society would view such an arrangement. Yet they are not one in the same. The two are very different. If your marriage is arranged it contains two consensual adults who not only support the tradition but happily carry it out. Forced marriages is when both or either party does not want to participate in the arrangement and are forced to by threats and or empty promises. This is so serious of an issue there has been a legal tactical force created for this purpose. Its Called the FMU(Forced Marriage Unit). It receives over 250 cases a year and growing. This special unit resides in the Community Liaison Offices and gives information and assistance to those attempting to flee from this form of bondage marriage. Forced marriage can be illegal in UK and other countries as well. Not everyone that is raised in the tradition of arranged marriages agree with the culture induced views of the family. Some children do oppose taking part. In some instances a child might have their own thoughts or dreams of marrying another. Sometimes, families are not

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