Functions of marriage

Murdock

“marriage is a contractual Union of a man and a woman and involve sexual privilege, economic cooperation, cohabitation, the production of children and responsibility for the children’s care, socialization and education”

Kathleen Gough

“marriage is a relationship between a woman and one or more person which provides that a child born to the women under circumstances not prohibited by the rules of relationship is accorded full but birth status right common to normal members of society or social stratum”

Westermark

“marriage is a relation of  one or more men with one or more men which is recognised by custom or law and which involves certain rights and duties both in the case of parties entering the Union and in the case of children born into it”

Marriage is biopsychic and cultural phenomenon and it serves biopsychic and cultural functions

I. Biopsychic functions

1. Fulfilment of sexual needs
2. The fulfilment of reproductive needs – the production of children

II. cultural functions

3. Creates specific rights and responsibilities- social rights , economic rights, legitimacy to offspring and responsibility for the children’s care, socialization and education
4. Creation of new families
5. Creation of alliances
   1. Subsistence necessities
   2. Essential ritual services
   3. Mutual defence
6. Religious or ethnic function
7. Allocation of goods and services
8. Social continuity