Reference no: EM133296216

Love and marriage are topics that generate debates among scholars while also providing fodder for art, poems, books, magazines, movies, theater, and social media. Under normal circumstances, news of geopolitical conflicts and extreme weather events are often made secondary while celebrity marriage and divorce can dominate the headlines (e.g. J-Lo and Ben Affleck, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, Justin and Hailey Bieber, etc). At the doctor's office we are asked to fill out forms that invariably include a series of small boxes where we are supposed to provide information on our marital status. We live in a society that revolves around courtship and partner bonds. Although changes took place in the form of family organization and single lifestyles are becoming more common, it is suggested that the aforementioned individuals are somehow incomplete.

Yet, there are cultures that do not place such importance on love and marriage. We will learn that marriage is not a human universal. This fact alone proves that long-term pair-bonding is a social construct despite it being constantly touted as a part of human nature. We will also learn that for most people, cross-culturally and throughout history, marriage has not been about love. In fact, there are cultures that lack the entire concept of romantic love as responsibility toward one's family takes precedence over individual feelings.