Cultural Influences on the Perspective of Marriage

Name:

Tutor:

Course:

Date:

Cultural Influences on the Perspective of Marriage

Culture imposes a significant influence on all aspects within an individual’s life. Accordingly, one’s background imposes unavoidable implications on the attitudes, opinions as well as the respective behavior in society. Specifically, my respective culture influences every facet of my life. Even though people tend to express dissociation from such thoughts, it is impossible to neglect the effect that cultural and socioeconomic milieus have on the decisions we reach to each day. Personally, one of the main effects that culture imposes involves same sex marriages. In my own view, I find it difficult to accept this form of marriage in the contemporary society. Even though the society seems to accept this derivative of the respective institution, it is irrefutable to repudiate the other forms of institutions that impinge on the actual thoughts as well as practices that people may express if they possessed the opportunity.

Several aspects of my culture influence my thoughts on homogenous marriages. One of these elements comprises religion. Accordingly, religion has formed a basic part of my life. It has provided the core values and convictions that guide me to this date. The values expressed by religion concerning this institution support matrimony between a man and a woman. Traditional societies viewed this as the acceptable form of marriage or any other form of intimate relationship between male and female individuals. Because of the influence of this institution, the topic of homosexuality in marriage and in the society in general gained illustration as taboo. However, such issues have become prevalent in the modern society based on the opposite influence that other institutions, other than marriage, impose on the existing culture. For instance, the institution of law has provided people with homosexual orientations to protest concerning the rights, they possess as human beings, which should undergo provision with equality.

Nonetheless, one cannot refute the implications culture has on behavior. Due to certain influential aspects such as religion, the behaviors of people concerning homosexual unions are considerably negative. This is because of the values and morals that the respective institution has implemented within society. Specifically, functionalism plays an imperative role in the creation of such influential institutions. Indeed, the functionalist perspective asserts that every part of the society contributes to its general stability. Because of this, then one can understand the consistent homophobia against the respective same-sex community. Since it is simple to plunge the society into chaos, the law, which is an important part of the society, legalizes these unions in order to regulate antisocial behaviors and thus enforcing social order. Because of the influence of such an institution, then opposing behavior undergoes regulation in order to discourage same-sex supporters from disrupting the social order.

Finally, based on the effect of the law as a functional aspect of the society, the position of deviance also changes. Accordingly, the past culture branded same-sex unions as deviant to the society. This is because of the predisposition they exuded against the morally accepted form of matrimony. However, the current culture, with its acceptance of homosexual marriages, has changed this stance. Indeed, persons exuding opposition against these unions have attained the status of deviants. This is because the current institutions have accepted same-sex matrimony as ideal, moral and acceptable in the society. In addition to this, the law has also accepted these unions further providing the required set of morals and values that people need to abide by. Hence, expressing any form of behavior against this union designates one as a deviant due to their stance against the norms currently asserted by related parts or institutions of the society.