Why do people marry in Latin America?

Introduction

Marriage - is one of the essential points of the script that is embedded in most of us since childhood, and reinforced by daily discourse. The process of formation of this scenario is described in detail in my book, "The script of your life, or as you like, so be it" Social stereotypes that affect our understanding of the relationship between a man and a woman - the cult of the family and the wedding - we absorb from childhood through stories, films, advertising and real life. Latin Americans have the highest number of marriages as compared to other industrialized countries (10.6 per 1000 people in 1981). High levels of marriages are also observed in the Soviet Union (10.7 persons in 1978), Egypt (9,5 persons in 1979) and Japan (6.8 persons in 1979). Why Do People Marry? There are many different reasons why people get married. For some marriage is something of a romantic notion, to have someone in their lives to love or be loved by, someone who will be their lifetime companion. For them it is a buffer against one of the biggest modern day ills; the despair of feeling isolated in a cold world. However, others marry because of the desire to have children, to increase financial security such as a home or even health insurance, or to achieve some type of status such as, wealth, fame, political, or social class. (Curry 22)

The traditional marriages of long ago, was primarily centered on maintaining social respectability and proper image within the community and one's own family, and with little regard for love or personal desire. Individuals were prohibited from marrying outside of their socioeconomic class, race, or religion. With the exception of those who willingly marry to increase or obtain wealth through social status, fewer people today in the Latin America still practice this type of traditional marriage.

Today, the attitudes of most individuals in the Latin America and the western world is that " if I choose to marry outside of my race, religion, or social class, that is my business, after all, I am not marrying my family, my church, my community, or the Latin American society". Because of this growing individualistic concern, and freedom to select their own mates, most people now settle down to fulfill their own personal desires. Proof of this can be seen with the growing number of interracial and interfaith marriages, and the struggles to legalize same sex unions. (Gerstmann 121)

The number of marriages between members of different races is much lower than the number of marriages among members of different faiths. For example, a study in one district of Brazil confirmed that the white is much less likely to enter into mixed marriages than negros and Japanese. The reason for the low level of marriages between people of different races is understandable (Sullivan 213). Although there are laws prohibiting such marriages (mainly in the South in 1967), by decision of the Supreme Court were eliminated, ...