The 12 types of marriage (and their characteristics)

There are several types of marriage. In general terms marriage is defined through religious or legal rituals or processes where two people come together to form a family, although there are specific characteristics that define different types of marriage.

Each religion has its own conceptions and rituals that define what marriage means. Laws can also vary from one country to another, especially in terms of issues such as requirements, rights, obligations and even those involved.

Know the 12 types of marriage that exist

Marriage is considered the foundation of the family. In a traditional way it was conceived as the beginning of a lineage or descent. However, this concept has changed in recent decades, giving way to new ways of living in marriage.

It is a social concept in which the union of people in married life is confirmed. The how and who makes it up is what separates the 12 types of marriage that exist. Here we list them for you taking as a reference their religious and / or legal foundations.

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1. Religious marriage

Religious marriage varies according to the dogmas of religion followed by those involved. For Catholic marriage, it is the union of man and woman with the objective of procreation and does not accept the union of two people of the same sex.

For the Jews, on the other hand, marriage is the way in which a human being is completed. For Islam it is a necessary legal contract, while for Buddhism it is a matter of law that is neither prohibited nor mandatory.

2. Civil marriage

Civil marriage is the one that is supported by the laws of each country or region. In most cases, it is separate from religious matters, so a conjugal union may not be legally valid even when a religious marriage has been celebrated.

According to the laws of each place, the marriage must meet certain requirements such as age, mutual consent and even health accreditation by the contracting parties. In other places none of this is an impediment to celebrating a marriage.

3. Arranged marriage

In an arranged marriage the spouses are chosen by a third person. It was a very common type of union throughout the world until the 18th century. Although they still exist today in some regions of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, especially in some religions.

The arranged marriage is consensual. Even when someone else chooses the spouses, they are allowed to have an opinion on whether they accept or not and are even given time to get to know each other before getting married.

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4. Forced marriage

Forced marriage refers to one of the parties not agreeing to the union. It is commonly the women who are coerced for various reasons to marry someone other than someone else, usually her parents.

This type of marriage still exists in some regions of Asia and Africa, even when it is against human rights and is even considered a form of slavery. There are also men who are forced to marry, not only women being affected, although they represent the majority.

5. Marriage by rapture

Marriage by kidnapping or kidnapping is considered a crime. It is a practice that was very common throughout history, where a man forcibly took a woman to live with him against her will.

Unfortunately, these types of actions still exist in some cultures and regions of the world such as Asia, Africa, as well as some places in Europe and Latin America. They are related to physical attacks against women, so they are absolutely reprehensible.

6. White marriage

This type of marriage is also known as one of convenience. This type of union is considered a fraud and if proven, the penalties can be severe. It is a union with the sole objective of obtaining legal or economic benefits.

It is called a white marriage because there are no intimate relationships between the parties. As it is a union that only seeks to obtain some benefit for one of the parties, there is no relationship sentimental and sometimes there is even financial compensation for one of the spouses for facilitating the fraud.

7. Inbreeding

An endogamous marriage is one that takes place between blood relatives. Refers mostly to cousins ​​or family in the second degree. This is because the union between siblings, or between parents and children is illegal and is not allowed in almost any region of the world.

This type of marriage can also refer to the union or procreation between people who belong to the same lineage or ethnic or religious group. It is commonly done to prevent outside members from joining the group.

8. Equality marriage

Same-sex marriage takes place between people of the same sex. Although it also refers to the union of two people with the same gender identity. This type of marriage is still illegal and is persecuted in many countries of the world.

However, in 24 countries of the world that include Spain and some countries of America, Europe and Asia, the homosexual marriage is allowed and is legally recognized with all the prerogatives of marriage conventional.

9. Polygamy

Polygamy is a rare type of marriage. Although some religions support it, there are few places where it is recognized. In some laws, polygamy is not only not contemplated, it is also sanctioned.

Polygamy usually involves a man who is married to many women, which is called polygyny. In some cases it happens the other way around and a woman contracts several male spouses, which is called polyandry. In many countries legal recognition is not given to this union, although in some states of Canada and the United States it is fully allowed.

10. Trial marriage

Trial marriage is one that is formed between three spouses. It is not about a person who marries two others, the trial marriage is based on the desire of three people who love each other to live under the laws of marriage.

In some countries this type of union is prohibited, but in others there is no legislation in this regard, so there is no legal impediment to carry it out. The recent boom in polyamory has brought to the table the need to recognize and legislate this type of union in developed countries.

11. Child marriage

One type of forced marriage is child marriage, which is so called when at least one of the parties are minors. Although the UN has spoken out against this practice, it is still relatively common in some countries..

The most condemnable thing about this practice is that there are arranged marriages, regularly by parents, so that a girl gets married to someone older than her. For this reason it is considered a forced marriage.

12. Domestic partner

There is also the common-law couple, free union or free association. This type of affective unions between two people resembles a marriage, however it is not considered as such because it was not carried out legally and sometimes not under religious marriage.

These are two people of the same or different sex, who live together, share responsibilities and obligations in the same way as legal marriage. This type of union has already been contemplated in the law to offer legal support to its members..

Bibliographic references

• Lawson, D. W., James, S., Ngadaya, E., Ngowi, B., Mfinanga, S. G., & Borgerhoff Mulder, M. (2015). No evidence that polygynous marriage is a harmful cultural practice in northern Tanzania. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112 (45), 13827–13832. doi: 10.1073 / pnas.1507151112.

• Dalton, John; Leung, Tin Cheuk (2014). "Why Is Polygyny More Prevalent in Western Africa? An African Slave Trade Perspective "(PDF). Economic Development and Cultural Change. 62 (4): 601–604. doi: 10.1086 / 676531. SSRN 1848183.