An Essay on the Marriage Institution: Time for reform or extinction?

Abstract

In this essay, it’s argued that the high rate of divorce across the world could be attributed to myriad determinants, many of which are advanced in divorce courts but the chief culprit is the marriage institution itself. Happy couples begin their misery once they get formally married; before that they bask in love and bliss. Romance is curtailed, not nurtured, by the marriage institution. The institution exerts immeasurable pressure on both couples, starting with the overburdening cultural and religious demands. It’s argued further that since marriage is a cultural invention, it can be re-designed in order to exert less pressure and stress on couples, or alternatively it can be left to atrophy and become extinct. Change is the only thing that is permanent is a cliché or a platitude that could illuminate the transformation of the marriage institution.

Key words: marriage, institution, romance, culture, religion, stress