Marriage and Family

I. Objectives
a) Give the general, biblical, and legislatively definition of marriage.
b) Identify the economic aspects of marriage.
c) Cite examples of societies that practice the different economics of marriage.
d) Identify and give examples of the different restrictions in marriage.
e) Ask and give an opinion on the legalization of divorce in the Philippines.
f) Discuss and differentiate the family group.
g) Identify and share some of the Filipino marriage traditions.

II. Discussion

A. Definition of Marriage

• The relationship that exists between two people who are united as spouses
(Meriam Webster).
• A holy covenant before God (Malachi 2:14).
• A special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered
in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life (The
Family Code of The Philippines)

B. Economic Aspects of Marriage

Fig. 1: Distribution of Economic Marriage
Transactions Among Societies That Have Them
Marriage involves economic considerations.
Different economic marriage customs can be
seen around the world and can influence the
decision to marry. Anthropologists shared about
economic transactions in marriage, bride price,
bride service, gift exchange, and dowry.

The distribution of those forms among

societies that have economic marriage
transactions is shown in Figure 1.
1. Bride Price
- A gift of money or goods from the groom or his kin to
the bride’s kin.
- The gift usually grants the groom the right to marry
the bride and the right to her children
- Of all the forms of economic transaction involved in
marriage, bride price is the most common.

2. Bride Service
- It requires the groom to work for the bride’s family.
- Bride service varies in duration.
- Among the North Alaskan Eskimo, for example, the boy works for his in-laws
after the marriage is arranged.
- Among the Nandi, the bride price consists of five to seven cattle, one or two
sheep and goats, cowrie shells, and money equivalent to the value of one
cow.

3. Exchange of Females
- The custom whereby a sister or female relative of the
groom is exchanged for the bride.
- Among the societies that practice the exchange of
females are the Tiv of West Africa and the
Yanomamö of Venezuela and Brazil.
- These societies tend to be horticultural and
egalitarian, and their women make a relatively high
contribution to primary subsistence.

4. Gift Exchange
- The exchange of gifts of about equal value by the
two kin groups about to be linked by marriage.
- The gift exchange continues until the marriage is
completed and the two kin groups are united.

5. Dowry
- A dowry is a gift of substantial monetary value given
from either the bride or groom to their future spouse
upon marriage.
 Why does dowry tend to occur in some types of
societies?
a) One theory suggests that the dowry is intended
to guarantee future support for a woman and her
children, even though she will not do much
primary subsistence work.

b) Another theory is that the dowry is intended to

attract the best bridegroom for a daughter in
monogamous societies with a high degree of
social inequality.

6. Indirect Dowry
- The dowry is provided by the bride’s family to the
bride, the groom, or the couple. But sometimes
the payments to the bride originate from the
groom’s family.
- The goods are sometimes first given to the
bride’s father, who passes most if not all of them
to her

C. Restrictions on Marriage
Marriage is an institution that is historically filled with restrictions. From age to
gender, to social status, various restrictions are placed on marriage by communities,
religious institutions, legal traditions, and states.

1. Civil marriage
- A civil wedding is a secular ceremony officiated by a government official.
It is a public ceremony marking a vital event of a legal union between a
man and a woman to form a family.
- Controversially, while the Lebanese system refuses civil marriages to be
performed in Lebanon, it does accept to register Lebanese civil marriages
performed in other countries.

The following countries do not recognize or perform civil marriage:

• Indonesia
• Iran
• Israel
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Libya
 • Palestine
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Yemen

2. Religious Marriage
- Marriage is solemnized in any church, chapel, or any other authorized
building following the rites and ceremonies of any religious denomination.
- China’s Christians are suffering again, as Beijing continues to implement
leader Xi Jinping’s policy of “sinicization” of religion that, in effect, means
making adherents to all religions more loyal to the ruling Communist Party,
rather than to their conscience.

The following countries do not recognize or perform religious marriage:

• Albania • Bulgaria • Netherlands
• Algeria • China • North Korea
• Armenia • Chile • Russia
• Austria • France • Turkey
• Belgium • Japan • Ukraine
• Brazil • Mexico

3. Divorce
- A legal dissolving, termination, and ending of a legally valid marriage. A
divorce ends a legal marriage and declares the spouses to be single again.
- Only two countries in the world do not legalize or accept divorce, the
Philippines, and Vatican City.

Sharing: What is your stand in the legalization of divorce in the Philippines?

4. Same-Sex Marriage
- The practice of marriage between two men or between two women.
The following countries recognize or perform same-sex marriage:
• Argentina • France • Sweden
• Australia • Germany • Switzerland
• Austria • Iceland • Taiwan
• Belgium • Ireland • UK
• Brazil • Netherlands • US
• Canada • New Zealand
• Columbia • Norway
• Denmark • Portugal
• Ecuador • South Africa
• Finland • Spain
D. Different Family Groups
The following types of families exist today, with some families
naturally falling into multiple categories.

1. Nuclear Family
- The conjugal family or family of procreation.
- Comprised of married partners and their offspring.
- The nuclear family was long held in esteem by society as
being the ideal in which to raise children.

2. Polygamous
- Consists of a marriage in which a spouse of any gender may have more
than one mate at the same time.

3. Extended Family
- The most common type of family in the world.
- Include at least three generations: grandparents,
married offspring, and grandchildren.
- This type of family structure may form due to
financial difficulties or because older relatives are
unable to care for themselves alone.

4. One-parent Domestic Groups

- The single-parent family consists of one parent raising one or more

children on his own.
- This family may include a single mother with her children, a single dad with
his kids, or a single person with their kids.
- Families with children under age 18 are headed by a parent who is
widowed or divorced and not remarried, or by a parent who has never
married.

E. Filipino Wedding Traditions

 The Philippines is home to unique traditions and
beliefs, particularly weddings. Here are some
Filipino Wedding Traditions that I experienced.

1. Pamamanhikan
Pamamanhikan or formal introduction and
negotiations. This acts as the first official step in
a Filipino wedding. It could take place months
or weeks before the wedding ceremony and
involves the groom’s family meeting the bride’s family. It traditionally
symbolizes an official proposal to the bride and the bride’s family, thus
combining their families.

2. Plate of Kalamay
The newlyweds are served a small plate of
kalamay, or sticky rice cakes to symbolize
sticking together through their married life.
They are then given a pile of rice cakes
wrapped in palm leaves and seated at a table
where a chosen bidder—usually a favorite aunt
or friend—bids off the rice cakes for them.

3. Money Dance
The couple’s first dance is usually the
money dance. Guests attach money to the
newlyweds’ clothes using tape or pins. This is
considered a way to help the newlyweds get
started financially.

III. Reflection

As a Filipino, I know that my country is home to unique cultures, beliefs, and

traditions. Everything and anything has its meaning or symbolism. These beliefs,
culture, and tradition also affect how we view, interpret, and give importance to marriage
and family.

In my report, I discuss the different meanings of marriage. Biblically, I always heard

the priest utter the words when he officiates a wedding mass, “..Ang pinagbuklod ng
D’yos ay hindi maaring paghiwalayin ng tao.” As a Catholic, I learned and believe that
 marriage is a sacred union between man and women by God. Growing up, this is how
I viewed marriage, but as I encountered more people each day and heard about their
stories of marriage, my perception of marriage is becoming more and more different
from what it used to be.

Marriage involves economic considerations. Before, I thought it was only about the
financial matter engaged in planning a wedding. However, I was surprised that it’s more
than that. The economic aspect of marriage includes the bride price, bride service, gift
exchange, indirect dowry, dowry, and exchange of females. I first learned about dowry
during our discussion about Indian culture. Since then, I viewed dowry in India as a
factor that reduced the sanctity of marriage and degraded the young maiden to the level
of saleable commodity. Additionally, both parties suffered.

Marriage also has restrictions. From age to gender to social status, various
restrictions are placed on marriage by communities, religious institutions, legal
traditions, and states. Of course, in all fairytales, happily ever comes after the end.
Before the main characters have it, they must face a lot of hardships. The same goes
for a marriage. Marriage restrictions include civil marriage, religious weddings, same-
sex marriage, and divorce. Among the following restrictions, one of the most talked-
about topics in the Philippines is the legalization of divorce. The Philippines and the
Vatican City are currently the only two countries that still prohibit divorce.

I support the legalization of divorce in the Philippines. It may be contradicting my

belief as a Catholic, but as a woman, I believe that if your husband does not respect
you any more to the point that he also physically abuses you, women should no longer
stick to her vow of ’til death do us part. Living in a marriage where love and respect are
gone is a life without hope. Divorce may not always be easy initially, but trust the
process, and it will give both parties a fresh start to lead a better life.

Still, I believe in marriage, and I am always happy whenever I hear and witness
the people I love to find their happily ever after. Being able to witness their genuine
smiles as they walk down the aisle, I believe that in God’s perfect timing, I will also have
my own story of happily ever after.

IV. References
Blessing, M. (2021). Types of Family Structures. LoveToKnow.
https://family.lovetoknow.com/about-family-values/types-family-structures

del Rosario, K. (2021, November 8). 13 Filipino Wedding Traditions You Need to
Know. Brides. https://www.brides.com/filipino-wedding-traditions-5086934

Lumen Learning. (2021). Economic Aspects of Marriage | Cultural Anthropology.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/culturalanthropology/chapter/economic
aspects-of-marriage/

Whittemore, J. (2021). Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit.

Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. Study.Com.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/bridewealth-and-dowry-in-marriage.html