Marriage Norms

America
o Commonly performed in a church
o Marriage is on the decline
o Half of all adults are unmarried or divorced
o Gay marriage is legal in all states
o High rate of divorce and remarriage
o Premarital sex is a norm in America
Turkey
o Adults are expected to marry and have children
o Men should not lower their wives standard of living, so they have to marry
women in their economic class
o People generally marry within their religious sect and ethnic group
o A couple cannot divorce by mutual consent
Possible acceptable reasons: adultery, plot against life, grace
assaults
Bolivia
o A fundamental rite of passage and a marker of adult status
o Typical marriage has three steps
Initial period of cohabitation
Lasts up to three years
Spouses set up a household and start having kids
A wedding
2-3 day marriage celebration
o Polygyny exists in some marriages, but monogamy is still the norm
o Most important thing is to not marry someone with a similar last name or
any related to you more than a third cousin
o After marriage, they normally live in their own house away from parents
Isnt unusual to live with the grooms parents for awhile
Afghanistan
o Marriage is considered an obligation
o Divorce is rare and stigmatized
o Polygamy is allowed if all the wives are treated equally
o General pattern is to marry kin, although families try to diversify their
social assets through marriage
Incidence of unions between cousins is high
o First contact is made discreetly by women to avoid a public refusal
o The two families negotiate the financial aspects of the union
Trousseau- clothes, household lines, and other belongings collected
by a bride for marriage
Decides on a bride-price and the dowry (money or property from
the bride to the groom on their marriage day)
 o Official engagement
Female relatives of the groom bring gifts to the brides home and
sweets are consumed
o Wedding is a three day party paid for by the grooms family
Marriage contract is signed and the couple is brought together
Bride is brought to her new home in a lavish procession
Lithuania
o Two components: religious and legal
o Couples must register at the municipal wedding hall and they often have a
religious union in a church
Followed by an elaborate party that can last for 4 days
o People frown upon older women who have never married
o It is important for the bride to wear rue in her hair to represent her
innocence and childhood
American Culture
How it has changed over 50 years
o More rapid communications
o Faster ways to communicate
o More advanced technology
o Still poverty and hunger
o More older people
o Religious differences are growing
o More income inequality
Basics
o Declaration of independence
When we declared freedom from Great Britain
Affected us politically, economically, culturally, and socially because it
shaped our nation
o Temperance movement- 1784
Ban alcohol
Crime rates decreased and church population increased
Helpful to women and children because they could feel safer and
more protected since their husbands couldnt drink
o Second Great Awakening- 1790
Protestant revival moment
Increased church population
o Treaty of Greenville- 1795
Made a treaty with the Indians that made it illegal to invade them
We later broke the treaty and forced them out
o Louisiana Purchase- 1803
Made America double in size
Increased land for money, cropping, and slavery
 o Manifest Destiny- 1840
We got more land
o Seneca Falls Convention- 1860
Female leaded convention supporting womens rights in the country
Women were rebelling
o Election of 1860
One of the key events leading up to the Civil War
Made South Carolina secede
o Emancipation Proclamation- 1863
Document that declares all slaves free in the 10 states that still had slaves
Let the slaves enroll in the northern army
Took away the souths main money source
o Gettysburg Address- 1863
Lincoln gave a speech over human equality
Helped shape our union
o KKK- 1865
Wore white costumes and burned crosses in people yard
Affected society and the culture of America
America got a bad image and it scared people
o 13th amendment- 1865
Slavery abolished in the country
th
o 15 amendment -1870
Black men can now vote
1950s
o Televisions in American homes affected how and when family member interacted
with each other
o Less time available for direct conversation
1960s
o Birth control came out
Affected the relationship between children and parents
Parents can give more attention to each child now based on fewer children
More money and leisure time
Women increasingly moved into the work force outside of home
Gave them financial independence and altered traditional roles
inside the family
Men are less essential as bread winners and less accepted as patriarchs
They have begun to take on more child rearing and other domestic
household responsibilities
Divorce became an economically viable alternative for women in unhappy
marriages
Children have increasingly been raised by non-family members in child
care centers and schools
1960s- Present
 o 2006- 39% support gay marriages to be treated the same as straight ones, a clear
majority opposed gay marriage
60% in 2015, large majority support it now
o In 2001, 40% think gay/lesbian relationships are morally acceptable
2015- 63 %
o Americans are ok with homosexuality more than they were with divorce
o If youre a baker and refuse to cater a gay wedding and your reason is that you
done approve of gay marriage, then youll be vilified and bankrupt
Components of Culture
A system of beliefs and codes of conduct that dictate the behavior of member of a society
o Symbols- attach meaning to actions or events
Pledge of allegiance, American flag, bald eagle, statue of liberty, the star
spangled banner
o Language- coveys the beliefs and values of a culture
English, Spanish, Chinese, French, and German are the most popular
90% of the U.S. population speaks and understands some English
o Values- the ides that shape the way people think of morality
Individuality- encourages at an early age to be independent and develop
their own goals in life
Equality- there is a general lack of deference to people in authority (titles,
such as madam or sir, are rarely used)
o Norms- specific expectations of behavior
Informality- American lifestyle is generally casual, people wear
comfortable clothing
o Material culture- expression of these values and norms that create material items
or technology
American students use computers to survive in college and business,
homes, cities, schools, offices, stores
Bias
Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another,
usually in a way that is considered unfair
o Bias can be in any culture
Gender- in some cultures, women are seen as property, women are seen as
inferior to men in some parts of the world
Religion- when one religion is dominant in a culture, there will likely be
bias against other religions
Age- older people are respected in some culture while in others they are
considered incapacitated
Children- children are celebrated, treated like china, or can be seen as a
source of family income and support
Effects of Discrimination on Behavior
Can make someone feel unworthy and at fault
o Depression
Effects range from low self-esteem to a higher risk of developing stress- related disorders
such as anxiety and depression
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