Marriage can have a different meaning depending on the culture and subculture it is being defined within. There are many aspects as to why two parties decide to become united, be it for power, security, finances, or even obligation. Personal and familial obligations have a profound affect on the decision making process involved in marriage. Anthropologically speaking, it is defined by how it transforms the status of the participants, carries implications about permitted sexual access, perpetuates social patterns through the birth of offspring, creates relationships between the kin of partners, and is symbolically marked. (Anthropology: What Does it Mean to Be Human? pg. 379)
Although that definition covers the direct social impact of what a marriage dictates, it does not include the literal definition of the parties involved. Some cultures believe one man and one women while others believe a man can marry a man and a woman can marry a woman. Some believe one man can marry multiple women, or one woman can marry multiple men. These different point of views have often caused clashes among members in the same society as well as between differing societies. These beliefs are often religiously backed, deeply rooted in tradition and deviance can be grounds for righteous retribution. In modern times, especially in the West, people are now using the option of civil unions instead of marriage, to gain the economic benefits of a legally binding “marriage” in lieu of any religious alignments.
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