"Individuals may marry for several reasons, including legal, social, libidinal, emotional, financial, spiritual, political, and religious purposes."
Examining courtship, mate selection, marital roles, and marital satisfaction.
Marriage: The basic institution of family sociology, exploring the historical, cultural and legal aspects of the union between two individuals.
Theoretical perspectives of marriage: The different perspectives that sociologists use to understand marriage and how they contribute to explaining the social and cultural dynamics of family life.
Divorce: The legal and social dissolution of a marriage and the impact it has on families and society.
Parenting: How parents influence the development of children and the different parenting styles that exist.
Gender roles: The expectations, norms and values associated with the roles of men and women in marriage and family life.
Domestic violence: The forms and dynamics of violence and abuse within intimate partnerships, and the social and legal responses to this issue.
The family life cycle: The stages of family development, from courtship to empty-nesting, and the challenges and changes that occur during each stage.
Marital satisfaction: The factors that contribute to couples' happiness and fulfillment in their relationship.
Family diversity: The different forms of family structures, such as single-parent families, step- families, and alternative reproductive arrangements.
Economic foundations of marriage: The role of money and financial resources in marriage and family life.
Cross-cultural perspectives on marriage and family: The differences and similarities in family structures, values and practices across cultures and societies.
Marriage and family policy: The role of government in establishing policies and laws concerning marriage and family life.
Monogamous marriage: This is the most common type of marriage in which an individual is married to only one spouse at a time.
Polygamous marriage: This type of marriage allows individuals to have multiple spouses at the same time. It can be further classified as polygyny (one husband with multiple wives) or polyandry (one wife with multiple husbands).
Arranged marriage: In this type of marriage, the families of the prospective partners take the responsibility of finding a suitable match for them.
Love marriage: This type of marriage is based on mutual attraction and love between the partners.
Inter-caste marriage: This marriage happens between two individuals who belong to different castes.
Same-sex marriage: It is the marriage between two individuals of the same gender.
Common law marriage: This type of marriage is recognized by law in some jurisdictions where couples who have lived together for a certain period are considered married.
Group marriage: It is a type of marriage where multiple individuals are married to each other with equal rights and responsibilities.
Multipartner marriage: This is a type of marriage where one person is married to multiple partners but with different degrees of rights and responsibilities.
Open marriage: It is a type of marriage where partners are allowed to have sexual relationships with people outside of the marriage with the consent of the other partner.
Shotgun marriage: This type of marriage happens when a couple gets married due to an unplanned pregnancy.
Child marriage: It is a social practice where children, usually girls, are forced to marry at a young age, often before puberty.
Proxy marriage: It is a type of marriage where one of the partners is not physically present at the wedding ceremony, and the other partner stands in for them.
Interracial marriage: It is a marriage between two individuals of different races or ethnicities.
Endogamous marriage: This type of marriage happens between individuals belonging to the same social or cultural group.
Exogamous marriage: It is a type of marriage where individuals marry outside their social or cultural group.
Covenant marriage: A marriage where the couple agrees to a set of explicitly defined requirements for the marriage, which are often stricter than those for a regular marriage.
Mixed marriage: It is a marriage between individuals of different religions or faiths.
Common-law/ de facto marriage: A type of marriage that has no legal standing or ceremony, but the couple lives together and regards each other as husband and wife.
Muslim marriage: A type of marriage common in Islamic countries where the couple must adhere to certain Islamic principles and practices.
"It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between them and their in-laws."
"It is nearly a cultural universal."
"But the definition of marriage varies between cultures and religions, and over time."
"A marriage ceremony is called a wedding."
"In some cultures, marriage is recommended or considered to be compulsory before pursuing any sexual activity."
"Arranged marriage, child marriage, polygamy, coverture, and forced marriage are practiced, while others outlaw them to protect human rights."
"Around the world, there has been a general trend towards ensuring equal rights for women and legally recognizing the marriages of interfaith, interracial/interethnic/inter-caste, and same-sex couples."
"Debates persist regarding the legal status of married women, leniency towards violence within marriage, customs such as dowry and bride price, marriageable age, and criminalization of premarital and extramarital sex."
"Female age at marriage has proven to be a strong indicator for female autonomy and is continuously used by economic history research."
"Marriage can be recognized by a state, an organization, a religious authority, a tribal group, a local community, or peers."
"A religious marriage is performed by a religious institution to recognize and create the rights and obligations intrinsic to matrimony in that religion."
"Religious marriage is known variously as sacramental marriage in Catholicism, nikah in Islam, nissuin in Judaism, and various other names in other faith traditions."
"Each [faith tradition] has their own constraints as to what constitutes, and who can enter into, a valid religious marriage."
"Typically, [marriage] is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually sexual, are acknowledged or sanctioned."
"Legal, social, libidinal, emotional, financial, spiritual, political, and religious purposes."
"It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between them and their in-laws."
"It is often viewed as a contract."
"Debates persist regarding the legal status of married women, leniency towards violence within marriage."
"Arranged marriage, child marriage, polygamy, coverture, and forced marriage are practiced."