Marriage is a social institution with strong political overtones. The institution has created and enforced gender norms throughout every human society in all historical eras. Therefore, one of the reasons marriage works is because it is often strictly enforced with social codes. Marriage is only now starting to fall out of favor, and is being viewed more and more as an option rather than as an expectation. Yet there are still societal and personal pressures placed on individuals, making marriage work on a collective level. Thus, marriages work well in societies with strict taboos against divorce and even in societies with arranged marriages. Even on a personal level, arranged marriages that are socially sanctioned are often more likely to develop into deep and lasting connections between the spouses. As Bentley (2011) points out, "arranged marriages are far more likely to lead to lasting affection than marriages of passion." The reason...
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