Arranged Marriage

Abstract

AbstractPeople the world over engage in mate selection through one of two ways: future spouses themselves choose or parents or a larger kinship group choose. The first of these is referred to as “love marriage,” “free‐choice marriage,” or “autonomous mate selection.” The second form, “arranged marriage,” is the prevalent form of marriage in about half of the world's population. However, not all arranged marriages are alike. They range from the more traditional form where parents select partners based on factors likely to protect the interests of the family and larger society and without any input from the potential spouses, to a more contemporary form where the potential spouses have considerable influence. Forced marriage is sometimes a form of arranged marriage but should not be considered synonymous. Studies of marital quality have been inconclusive as to whether love marriages or arranged marriages result in greater marital satisfaction.