Arranged And Forced Marriages

By Chloe, Shannon, Hazel, Charlotte and Becca.

QUESTIONS.1. What is the difference between an arranged

marriage and forced marriage?

2. What are the current trends regarding forced, and arranged, marriages in the UK?

3. What opinions do the perspectives have on the matter? (Marxist, Feminist, New Rights and Functionalist)

4. What measures have been introduced in the UK to try and stop forced marriages?

5. What variations are there in terms of Class, Age, Gender and Ethnicity?

Information.• Laws have been introduced to prevent forced

marriages.• Any victim, friend or local authority can ask for

a Forced Marriage Protection Order (FMPO)• This stops a person being married against

their will and being taken abroad.• A person convicted of coercing somebody to

marry against their will could be jailed for up to two years.

• Within a year of this act being introduced 86 FMPO’s have been issued.

• Forced Marriages can be linked to gender inequality's as the majority of forced marriages involves the women being the one who is forced.

• Socialisation tells them to be mothers and wives.• Children have been forced in to marriages at an early stage before

a law was introduced stopping them until they were at least 18.• This also means that forced and arranged marriages are linked to

age.• One “child bride’s” parents arranged for her to get married in a

forest at the age of 10.

• Feminists are strongly against arranged and forced marriages.• They say it’s unfair because the men tend to get a bigger say

than women on weather to get married or not.• 86% of forced marriages were female.• New Rights are against forced marriages but do not mind

arranged marriages.• They would say they still have freedom of choice.• Marxists do not have a strong opinion towards arranged or

forced marriages.• Functionalists would say it’s good because more people are

getting married so the divorce rates will start to decrease.• Just because the divorce rate in these marriages are low, it

does not mean that the people in these relationships are happy.• Asian women commit suicide 2 to 3 times more than any other

ethnicity to get out of these marriages.

More Information.

• There are many consequences to victims of forced marriages.

• Psychological – Victim are unable to defy the pressure to enter a forced marriage . According to a recent report women suffer anxiety, deep depression and psychological problems.

• Their anguish at not being able to comply with family expectations often leads them to self-harm, schizophrenia, and suicide.

More Information.

• “Honour Killings” - These victims are, perhaps, the bravest of young women. They refuse to give up their western ways, date outside their tradition, and will not submit to a forced marriage.

• Their murders are usually carried out by an irate father, or by an assortment of brothers, uncles, or male cousins. Attempts to disguise their deaths as suicides or accidents are not always a success

Personal Story:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2009/jan/11/forced-marriage-jasvinder-sanghera

Extension Questions.

• What consequences are there to victims of forced marriages?

• Do people who have an arranged marriage stay in the marriage to respect there parents forfeiting a happy life?

THANK YOU!!!

• By Chloe, Shannon, Hazel, Charlotte and Becca.