Culture Diversity: How marriage in the U.S. differ from Japan
Brian Moore
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ANT 101
Professor Macek
May 6, 2010
Culture 2
Culture Diversity: How marriage in the U.S. differ from Japan Marriage is a respected tradition all over the world, followed in all cultures with different rituals. It is the legal engagement of a man and woman, giving them the respect and dignity of a family, the individuals agreeing to the strong relationship bond being called husband and wife. The union that is bestowed upon the two individuals is considered to be holy and is hoped to bring happiness to their lives, providing a companion to share their life with. Marriages can be different in different cultures, following different ceremonies, traditional practices, and rituals. However, the intention of the ceremony is always the same, to bring the man and woman together, to give them the status of a family and let them live in unison. A marriage is the form of satisfying a human need for a companion to share the life with, the sorrows, the pain, the joys and the affection. It is in the nature of a human to love and to want to live in the company of a partner; this is satisfied by a marriage. Although all weddings serve the same purpose, different cultures follow different traditional practices and follow different sets of rules regarding the process of marriage. The ceremonies are quite different, including the pre-marriage and post-marriage ceremonies.
Background
Marriage is a significant part of cultures all over the world and so various cultural elements get exhibited during the marriage ceremonies. This includes the American as well as the Japanese wedding ceremonies. That is, each country’s cultural aspect gets exhibited and incorporated in the marriage ceremonies that are conducted in the respective countries. Here, the key issue is, as America and Japan have distinct culture and traditions different