History of Marriage

History of marriage research papers overview the origins of the tradition of marriage. From a sociological standpoint or from a religious view, marriage and its history can be explicated by the writers from Paper Masters in a custom research paper.

Common topics on the history of marriage that Paper Masters can write for you include:

• History of marriage in indigenous societies
• Marriage and religion - the historical beginnings
• The history of marriage and its pagan beginnings

The history of marriage is as old as human civilization itself. Yet the definition of marriage is always changing. While marriage is traditionally a lifelong bond between a man and woman for the purpose of propagation, such marriages are often the minority. Many traditional societies have endorsed polygamy, which is a marriage among multiple partners. Polygamy was frequently practiced among the Biblical patriarchs.

Marriage VS Polygamy

In contrast to polygamy, traditionalists often uphold monogamy as the only "true" form of marriage. Monogamy is where a person has only one spouse, but these marriages often end in divorce, or even the death of one of the spouses. Remarriage in this case is considered to be serial monogamy.

Modern societies tend to characterize marriage as a love match. The history of marriage has not always supported such assertions. In many societies, marriage was an economic arrangement, an alliance between two families. Occasionally, such marriages are arranged, in which the bride and groom do not even meet before the wedding.

Following the French Revolution, marriages became a civil, rather than a religious arrangement. By the 19th century, obtaining a marriage license was common throughout the United States. The fact that marriage is a civil arrangement has led many to support the idea of same-sex marriage, in which the partners do not necessarily have to be a man and a woman.