Analysis Of Stephanie Gorney's Too Young To Wed
With a median age of first marriage at 27.5 years (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2016) that is only getting increasingly later in the United States, it is no surprise why the prospect of child marriage would shock most people. Indeed, this was the case for American photographer Stephanie Sinclair, writer Cynthia Gorney, and even myself as “Too Young to Wed” unfolded. Yet, what began as outward ethnocentrism gradually shifted toward a greater sense of cultural relativism as the topic invoked a collective desire to understand the context behind it.
Firstly, Sinclair and Gorney conveyed a strong level of ethnocentrism: Gorney expressed the belief that “everybody involved…was simply evil,” and likewise, Sinclair explicitly related her opinion to …show more content…
For example, approximately 90% of women have at least a high school education in the U.S. (Ryan & Bauman, 2016); on the other hand, Girls Not Brides noted that “over 60% of women [ages 20-24] with no education were married before eighteen” (n.d. a). Furthermore, Girls Not Brides also observed that with an education beyond primary school, girls are six times less likely to marry young (n.d. b).
For instance, this was particularly evident in the last story shared in Too Young to Wed, where the young girl discouraged her wedding because her teachers emphasized the drawbacks of child marriage. It not only made me realize how crucial education was for young girls to confidently oppose child marriage, but its general importance in empowering young girls …show more content…
b). Sinclair remarks that because education was typically limited in these areas, there was often “nothing to do besides getting married” (National Geographic, 2011). This has never been an issue that I have had to deal with because I have always lived in cities, and there was an abundance of opportunities available besides getting married. Thus, I came to understand why parents continue to practice child marriage in these areas. It often simply came down to its existence as a long standing tradition, and additionally, such environments were conducive of insecure conditions that it made it seem like the best available option for these young girls
Firstly, Sinclair and Gorney conveyed a strong level of ethnocentrism: Gorney expressed the belief that “everybody involved…was simply evil,” and likewise, Sinclair explicitly related her opinion to …show more content…
For example, approximately 90% of women have at least a high school education in the U.S. (Ryan & Bauman, 2016); on the other hand, Girls Not Brides noted that “over 60% of women [ages 20-24] with no education were married before eighteen” (n.d. a). Furthermore, Girls Not Brides also observed that with an education beyond primary school, girls are six times less likely to marry young (n.d. b).
For instance, this was particularly evident in the last story shared in Too Young to Wed, where the young girl discouraged her wedding because her teachers emphasized the drawbacks of child marriage. It not only made me realize how crucial education was for young girls to confidently oppose child marriage, but its general importance in empowering young girls …show more content…
b). Sinclair remarks that because education was typically limited in these areas, there was often “nothing to do besides getting married” (National Geographic, 2011). This has never been an issue that I have had to deal with because I have always lived in cities, and there was an abundance of opportunities available besides getting married. Thus, I came to understand why parents continue to practice child marriage in these areas. It often simply came down to its existence as a long standing tradition, and additionally, such environments were conducive of insecure conditions that it made it seem like the best available option for these young girls