Weddings in Catholic Strong Belief Communities: A Qualitative Examination of Catholic Deep-Faith Spouses’ Experience of their Wedding

Rita Phillips

doi:10.18848/2154-8633/cgp/v10i04/87-103

Abstract

Previous research indicated that traditional rituals, social codes, and contemporary norms strongly influence a wedding’s construction. This project aimed to understand how members from strong belief Roman Catholic communities negotiate between social influences impacting their wedding. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of eight interviews revealed how couples construct and communicate pertinent aspects of a combined self. The participants’ conception of the wedding was perceived as a representation of their ‘true’ selves and strongly informed external religious authorities. Engaging in religious practices enabled participants recreate group expectations and norms and internalize them as personal mental property. The Community’s support and acceptance of the individual stabilized and affirmed their religious-identity, causing it to be shielded from potentially conflicting out-group expectations. This allowed the individual to express their identity regardless of context. The wedding in this sense became an expression of their religious identity and reaffirmed the bond with their Roman-Catholic strong-belief group.

Highlights

Previous research indicated that traditional rituals, social codes and contemporary norms strongly influence a wedding’s construction
Before 1990 academic examinations of weddings were largely confined to anthropology, where weddings were examined as rituals of passage that are culturally dependent in their construction (Bell, 1997)
Research indicates that the structure and frames of references concerning the set-up of a wedding are influenced by contemporary norms and ideals, many of which are conveyed through advertisements and media (i.e. Corrado 2002; Otnes, Lowrey & Shrum, 1997; Otnes & Scott, 1996; Otnes & Pleck, 2003)

Summary

Introduction

Previous research indicated that traditional rituals, social codes and contemporary norms strongly influence a wedding’s construction. Psychological insight into how fiancées balance cultural norms, social qualities and the individual’s and couple’s representations of themselves in setting up their weddings are rare This lack of research especially applies to members of subcultures like strong belief Roman-Catholic Communities (i.e. Loretto, Opus Dei, Commune E Liberazione). Research indicates that the structure and frames of references concerning the set-up of a wedding are influenced by contemporary norms and ideals, many of which are conveyed through advertisements and media (i.e. Corrado 2002; Otnes, Lowrey & Shrum, 1997; Otnes & Scott, 1996; Otnes & Pleck, 2003) These ideals promote ‘white weddings’, referring to weddings inspired by US culture, and represent them as the proper way to get married all around the world (Pleck, 2000). Ritual wedding specialists like priests could be assigned to greater influence in the construction of a wedding than secular wedding specialists

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