Why it is importance to marry

THE IMPORTANCE OF MARRIAGE IN GHANA

Definition of marriage

Marriage can be described as a union between a man and woman to live together as husband and wife, after they have gone through all the processes or rites that are recognized by the families of both parties. The marriage is a bond between two families and sometimes even after the marriage is broke, the bond is not completely severed.

SOME REASONSS WHY PEOPLE MARRY

The surety of companionship

One of the basic things humans need is companions. A person to share one’s sorrows and joys with, a person to whom love is extended and expected in return, a person to console one when one is emotionally down. It is also a union which helps one to avoid loneliness. One of the purposes of marriage is to offer all these and more to the married couple.

Offers an avenue for procreation

In Ghana, one of the greatest expectations of marriages is that the couple would deliver children to the society in order to perpetuate the family line. Though it is common to find unmarried people having children, marriage offers a generally accepted means to bear children.

To have legitimate sex

In Ghana, a woman who is less than 16years old is not supposed to have sex because the law forbids that. So also, for some religious reasons, persons who are not married are not expected to have sex though the desire for sex kicks in at adolescence. Marriage is the legitimate avenue which allows one to freely have sex with his or her legally married partner.

Gives a sense of adulthood

One of the expectations of society for both males and females is that they get married when they grow up. One of the indications of adulthood is marriage. Though this is not mainly determined by the age of the couple, the society now recognizes them as having become fully grown and matured. They are now allowed unfettered access in most adult discussions.

A license to make a home

Society is continuum, so a child grows to become a father or mother. Marriage offers the chance for people to form their own home. A new couple, therefore moves away from their parents and form their own nuclear family, either close by of far away, sometimes in a new town or region.

To unite families or clans

Marriage is not only a union between two individuals but also between two families and sometimes even clans and ethnic groups. As seen during the marriage ceremonies, a lot of the members of both parties are brought together. After the marriage, close blood affinities are established between the two families, in some cases forever.

SAMPLE QUESTION(S)

1. a. What is marriage?

    b. Highlight six important reasons why people get married.

ALSO READ:
The processes through which marriage is contracted
Why the bride price is important in traditional marriages

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