Distinguish egalitarian, rank, and stratified societies in anthropology Essay

There are universally acclaimed structures of society and these can either be beneficial for the individuals or not. One of the many political doctrines that can be beneficial to the individuals of a society is Egalitarianism. Egalitarian is referred to be as a kind of society which gives equal rights and opportunities to the people. Egalitarian societies give equal treatments to their people, equal rights to resources, equal in moral status and equal rights of the laws and church and they don’t have even permanent leadership. The notion of egalitarianism came about because in biblical verses, it was written that God loved His people equally (Arneson). Another kind of political doctrine is the social stratification; it is viewed as the social hierarchy of social classes and strata within a society. Social stratification is universally acclaimed but varies accordingly to the societies that uphold it. There are three major components of social stratification according to the conflict-perspective sociologist Max Weber; the class, status and party. The status of a person in the society plays a big role in the determination of his or her role and his behavioral patterns and changes that he or she will have. There are actually four classes in a stratified society; the propertied class, the property less class, the bourgeoisie, and the working class. An individual’s role in a society is predicted by the class he or she is under. In stratified societies, those who have the capital are the ones who rule and have the greater opportunity to the resources and services and those who have nothing are have the lesser opportunity (Rodriguez). Societies have differences; some give equal rights to the people and others do not. Thus, societies continue to exist because social order is maintained.

Of mice and men †dreams and hope Essay

Hopes and dreams help people survive even if they never become real. How true is this for the characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’? The novel ‘Of mice and Men’ was written by John Steinbeck and is set in Salinas and Soledad California in the 1930s when life was hard for so many people because of the great depression. A major theme of John Steinbeck’s novel ‘of mice and men’ is the American dream and the drive to attain it. There are two major themes in ‘of mice and men’ novel that is foreshadowed by the reference to Robert Burns’ poem called â€Å"To a mouse† the word mouse within the title means loneliness and dreams. (BBC Bitesize, 2014:2) This poem contains the lines, â€Å"The best laid plans of mice and men/ often go awry† Most of the main characters in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† harbour dreams and have plans that never come true. George, Lennie, and Candy all share a doomed dream of buying their own f arm and living off the land. George often thinks about how his life he could have had as an unrestricted bachelor and free of the burden of caring for Lennie. â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy,† he says. (Steinbeck, 1965:12) However, Lennie has his own private dream of living in a cave with his own rabbits but Curley’s wife regrets the missed chance to become a movie star. The main theme throughout this novel is that people must learn to reconcile their dreams with the reality to accept that everyone’s best laid plans often die. Each of the characters plans go askew not because they give up on them but because the forces beyond their control destroyed each one of them. Due to the bleak economic outlook of the Great Depression coming to terms with your broken dreams was the reality nearly everyone in America faced. The American Dream is written into the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.† With these protections, any American, regardless of class, religion, gender, and eventually race, could always strive—and even sometimes succeed—at improving himself via wealth, education, or labour. (SparkNotes, 2014). George and Lennie’s dream about owning a farm and living off the â€Å"fatta the lan† (Steinbeck, 1965:16) symbolises this dream. In the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† shows that the American Dream became an illusion and a trap for the poor migrant workers during the Great Depression. Every single one of the ranch  workers in the novel dream of life, liberty and happiness but not one of them ever gets is. When Crooks hears of George and Lennie’s dream of owning their farm he says â€Å"Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.† (Steinbeck, 1965:84). Although the ranch workers dreams may not be realised, the novel suggest that in order for a person’s life to be full and meaningful it has to contain some sort of dream. At the end of the novel George and Lennie never achieved their dream but it did hold their remarkable friendship together throughout the story, for them this dream was real even if it was just there imagination because kept Lennie happy and it stopped George from becoming a mean and lonely guy like the other ranch workers. The dream gives them life, even if life never allows them to achieve their dreams. This novel explores the changing aspects of male friendship during this period this is shown when Lennie asks George to tell him why they are not like the other ranchers; George tells him â€Å"we got a future Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place†¦.With us it ain’t like that. We got a future†¦. An’ why? Because†¦because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† (Steinbeck, 1965:15) this is George’s way of sayi ng he and Lennie are different to the other workers. It could also be suggested that the word ‘future’ could be a metaphor for something bright and so much greater then what they have got now, which could be linked to their version of the American Dream and to ‘live off the fatta the lan’. (Steinbeck, 1965:16) this could almost suggest a biblical meaning like a promised land where all their dreams could come true. This dream helps George and Lennie to endure the hardship they face each day and to help them not to give in to despair. Usually the men who worked on these ranches would have no family, friends so therefore no future. Their friendship strikes the other ranch workers as odd due to their dependency on each other. This makes the boss and Curley suspicious and Slim observes that ranch workers rarely travel together because they’re scared of each other. Although most of the men in the novel are completely alone they still all crave true friendship. As Crooks, perhaps the novel’s most solitary character because of his black skin puts it, â€Å"A guy needs somebody—to be near him.† (Steinbeck, 1965:82) All the characters in the novel long for friendship and kindness but yet they all live in fear of one  another. This is shown with the tough shooting of Candy’s dog which makes it clear that during the Great Depression if you are useless, old or weak you will certainly be destroyed because the strong and the useful will fight for survival. All the workers on the ranch would constantly try to make themselves look strong especially if they feeling weak. The fear of the weak being overrun by the strong could explain why Curley likes to fight a larger men then he is â€Å"Curley’s pretty handy. He done quite a bit in the ring. He’s a light weight and he’s handy† (Steinbeck, 1965:29) and it could also be why Crooks tells Lennie that George is going to abandon him. Then Curleyâ₠¬â„¢s wife threatens to have Crooks lynched. Each of these characters tries to appear strong by asserting power over one another. This fear of being the strongest explains why the other characters in novel find it hard to understand George and Lennie’s friendship because they see being the strongest as a fight for survival. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ it has two different visions of women in it the first is the male character view and the second is the novel’s view of women. The male characters view on women which is they tend to view the women with fear and negatively labelling them as dangerous sexual temptresses. The male workers often referred to Curley’s wife with insulting words like a â€Å"tart† (Steinbeck, 1965:31) and â€Å"jail bait† (Steinbeck, 1965:36). George and Lennie have a friend in prison â€Å"on account of a tart† (Steinbeck, 1965:63) plus they have had their own troubles twice as a result from a woman. The first the women from Weeds and the second is Curley’s wife. Although she plays into her role as sexy temptress throughout the novel until the last part of it where is a victim. Curley’s wife craves the attention of the men on the ranch because she’s desperately lonely so she flaunts her power over the men because she h erself feels weak. There are a number of symbols within the novel that have different meanings these are George and Lennie’s farm, the rabbits that Lennie keeps talking about, Candy’s old dog and also Lennie’s puppy. The dream of owning a farm for George and Lennie is a symbol of the American Dream. This fantasy of owning their own farm leads George, Lennie and the other ranch workers such as Candy and Crooks to indulge in the dream of living â€Å"off the fatta the lan† (Steinbeck, 1965:16). George’s rich description of the farm’s lavish plants and animals also makes it seem like a symbol of paradise. While Lennie dreams of tending to the rabbits on the farm that he and George hope to own  one day. This dream forms Lennie’s complete innocence. Lennie enjoys touching anything that has a soft fur such as rabbits and mice due to this love of touching soft things leads to his fate. This symbolise not just innocence but also Lennie’s downfall of innocence in the harsh world that he lives. The next symbol is Candy’s old but once powerful sheepdog. For Carlson killing Candy’s dog makes it clear that during the Great Depression those who was strong would only survive. The way that Carlson kills Candy’s dog in the back of the head with just a single gunshot is foreshadowing how George will kill Lennie in the end. The link between Lennie and Candy’s dog is that they are powerless, innocent and doomed from the start. The symbol of Lennie’s puppy shows how dependent Lennie is on George, just as the puppy is dependent on Lennie. The puppy symbolise the fate of the weak in the face of the strong.

Postural Changes associated with Pregnancy Dissertation

Postural Changes associated with Pregnancy - Dissertation Example INTRODUCTION Posture is defined as the arrangement of body parts with reference to each other. Thus a good posture refers to the optimum alignment of musculoskeletal system so as to enable body movement with maximum efficiency (Britnell et al., 2005). Pregnancy brings about multiple changes in the women’s body affecting almost every biological system. While some of these changes go with pregnancy, others continue to affect for longer duration. There is an increase in body mass and dimensions with non-uniform distribution of both of these parameters. Thus the centre of gravity of the body and therefore, its equilibrium is disturbed and in order to regain it the body must lean backwards. The skeletal and muscular system of the women’s body undergoes several biomechanical changes to accommodate the growing uterus, maintain body balance and facilitate smooth delivery. Moreover the hormonal changes during pregnancy too affect the musculoskeletal system. Later weeks of pregna ncy are characterized by lordosis or a significantly increased curvature of the spine. Thus changes are observed in both the static and dynamic posture of the women during pregnancy. Along with these postural changes are observed discomforts such as low back pain which may or may not be associated with the postural changes. Moreover the postural changes have also been linked to increased vulnerability to fall incidences. Research has shown that the major postural adaptations associated with pregnancy include forward shift in centre of gravity, and subsequent anterior pelvic tilt, with some cases of lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis. Approximately 75% of women exhibit a more posterior posture wherein the mass of the expanding uterus with the fetus is shifted posterior to the prior centre of gravity (Britnell et al., 2005). While pregnancy itself is associated with different levels of multiple discomforts both physical and mental, an understanding of the mechanism and nature of ch anges associated with pregnancy is imperative for developing measures to deal with these problems. This literature review aims to study the various aspects of postural changes associated with pregnancy. 2. PURPOSE Bipedalism is a distinguishing character of hominids and the human skeleton has developed several adaptations to enable it. One of the chief adaptations was an elongated lumbar region with both an increased length of individual vertebra and also increase in number of vertebra. Besides this, the lumbar vertebra are also arranged in a significantly concave curve, the feature being specifically termed as lumbar lordosis. As a consequence of lumbar lordosis the trunk’s centre of mass (COM) is shifted to a position above the hips thereby imparting stability to the upper part of body (Whitcome et al., 2007). The second major adaptation is sagittal pelvic tilt. Human posture and motion is thus defined by two biomechanical components responsible for imparting stability viz lumbar lordosis and sagittal pelvic tilt. However, pregnancy related marked changes in body shape and mass pose significant challenges to the bipedal stability (Whitcome et al.

Marketing Planning as an Essential Foundation for Marketing Success Essay

Marketing Planning as an Essential Foundation for Marketing Success - Essay Example As the report declares prior to formulating an effective marketing program, it is incumbent upon management to consider the company’s current position within the market, the competitive landscape it faces, the unique aspects of the organization and its product, as well as how to position the organization for future profitability; all of which are a natural part of marketing planning. At its simplest expression, marketing planning is focused on two major sequential components, â€Å"establishing the corporate planning perspective and...developing marketing programs†. This paper stresses that effective marketing cannot be implemented as a series of random events; it should be viewed as a sequence that takes in the corporate condition and then tailors a marketing program to maximize opportunities. There are three vital aspects to this process that provide foundational support for success. The first is that marketing planning is, itself, a linear sequence. The value of such a scheme is that execution follows the form. In sequential management processes, it is relatively easy to identify where you are, and deduce where you should go. Marketing planning is more than just a linear process that defines a sequence of events. It is also a mechanism by which leadership is compelled to analyze its current market environment and proactively engage in sound business practices. ... At its simplest expression, marketing planning is focused on two major sequential components, "establishing the corporate planning perspective and...developing marketing programs" (Lazer 1971: 87). Effective marketing cannot be implemented as a series of random events; it should be viewed as a sequence that takes in the corporate condition and then tailors a marketing program to maximize opportunities. There are three vital aspects to this process that provide foundational support for success. The first is that marketing planning is, itself, a linear sequence. The value of such a scheme is that execution follows the form. In sequential management processes, it is relatively easy to identify where you are, and deduce where you should go. For the purposes of marketing planning, the fact that the first step in the sequence-and the second vital aspect of the process-is a corporate planning perspective that allows management the opportunity to analyze the organization's position and evalu ate its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This "first stop" on the map creates the necessary understanding to take the next step in the sequence, which is the third vital aspect of the linear process, and actually formulate a marketing program that meets the needs of customers, aligns with corporate philosophy, and stands a good chance at defeating competitive pressure. These goals would never be achieved, however, if a sequential process were not in place. Marketing planning is more than just a linear process that defines a sequence of events. It is also a mechanism by which leadership is compelled to analyze its current market environment and proactively engage in sound business practices. Marketing Planning Facilitates Good

Mini-Theme 4 - Writing with Semantic Argument or Statistics Essay

Mini-Theme 4 - Writing with Semantic Argument or Statistics - Essay Example can damage the cells in the bronchial passages which protect the body against inhaled microorganisms and decrease the ability of the immune cells in the lungs to fight off fungi, bacteria and tumor cells† (Bodies of Evidence, 1999). This affect on immunity extends to the rest of the body as well, reducing its ability to fight illness in a variety of ways such as killing the ‘killer cells’ and T-cells, each necessary in combating illnesses such as AIDS and cancer. In addition, the regular use of marijuana can have many of the same effects as smoking cigarettes, such as increased risk of bronchitis and lung cancer. Regular use has also been found to exacerbate many of the problems experienced by those with mental health conditions. In the short term, marijuana use impairs judgment, perception, thinking, memory and learning. Although the statistical information supported here is rather old, dating back to 1999, it is deemed to have at least a degree of reliability in that it is written and presented by medical professionals who obviously have had some experience in treating the illnesses that are commonly associated with cigarette smoking and other drug use. However, the information is also presented by a group of individuals who are working against having marijuana legalized for any purpose, which throws a tremendous bias upon the facts given and the severity presented. Bodies of Evidence. â€Å"Health Concerns: What are the medical dangers of marijuana use?† Medical Marijuana: Cure or Catastrophe? 1999. 23 August 2007 This interview is designed to help facilitate the researcher with a better idea of what it is like to live with lupus by discussing the experience with a current patient. In particular, the question of the research is to determine whether there is sufficient funding and research for adequate treatment of the disease. By understanding the lived experience, it will be

The Chronicle Gazette Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Chronicle Gazette - Term Paper Example This newspaper agency is going through a tough phase with diminishing revenues. Both advertising and subscription revenues are decreasing. The main cause of this downturn is that readers are now using Internet to receive all the news content for free. This advancement has increased reluctance in people to pay for newspapers now. Global recession has also obligated people to go for internet and free news instead of newspapers. It has distanced the customers from the traditional system of newspapers and also the increase in price of newspapers. The publishing costs have increased and majority of newspapers have increased their prices too. Today, online newspaper websites have gained popularity among different people (The New Times Company, 2010). The main aim of this report is to offer the management of The Chronicle Gazette a strategic vision of where the newspaper publishing industry stands today and where it is headed over the next decade. Also, this report proposes strategies the newspaper can investigate to survive in the new business environment. It also analyzes the details of this company’s present and future performance. It also gives facts on factors which cause the turn down of this industry. The trends in newspaper industry are also analyzed with regard to strategies that leading companies of the industry follow. This report will also give details about the measures that different companies adapt to beat the losses of the industry. It will also offer details about the measures that most companies adapt to eschew the losses encountered. By considering the external and internal factors affecting industry and also the publishers, the report will give measures that The Chronicle Gazette should adapt to increase its revenues and customer base (The New Times Company, 2010). 2. State of the newspaper publishing industry today 2.1. Data on declining circulation and revenues The state of national economy is one of the basic drivers of industry of US newspaper. The economy has a distinct impact on both the circulation and advertising; Most of the costs that companies face are fixed. As a consequence, the profitability is achieved by marketing and sales. The companies need to be innovative and strategic in their market strategy to enhance the circulation and to increase profits. The bigger companies take the advantage of the economies of scale as they used variety of sources in publishing newspapers (Hoover’s Inc., 2010). The past few years have witnessed a decline in newspaper readership. More and more people are now using Internet so that they can view online and read for free. The innovations in Internet have given people the opportunity to log in and receive information twenty four ho urs a day. This news content is also available in genuine time and it is available everywhere all around the world all the time. Most of these news providers don’t even charge a fee. A result of this is numerous readers are not willing to pay for news content now and has an enormous impact on newspapers’ sales (Honnold, 2000). A huge reduction has been seen in the total number of newspaper in circulation in United States over a period of ten years. The number of newspapers circulated in 2000 was 115, 194,000 and now this number has been reduced to 97, 712, 000 in the year 2008. At the same time, the revenues of advertising have gone down during the past few years. The revenues have declined from $48,670 in 2000 to only $24,821 in the year 2009 as reported by Newspaper Association of America. The past decade has shown a constant downturn in profits and revenues for publishers of newspapers. This

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 228

Assignment Example The executive director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty David Kaczynski claimed that medicine is supposed to heal people; it is not sets as its purpose to heal them in order to kill. There appears to be a strong controversy. One point is that he conducted a crime and deserves death penalty. Another point is that he is not sane to be executed. Thus, Singleton has to bear the responsibility for own actions. The goals of court and medicine appear to be in a conflict regarding this issue. There are three main possible outcomes: he is being cured and killed; he is insane and would not be executed; he remains insane but still he is being executed – without conscious perception, just murdered like an animal. Each argument has its sense. Supporting the first variant, I cannot accept the second one. If a person conducted a crime, he has to face the consequences. If he is already a death row prisoner, no reason could be strong enough to change the decision. Another aspect is that he has to be conscious enough to realize the weight of the crime he conducted. Just eliminating him may help society, yet such extent of punishment has no conscious and moral element. There is a probable claim that medications and efforts of doctors are applied not properly. Doctors spend their time, drugs are bought and used for accomplishing a short-turn goal – to heal to execute immediately. It all may happen the same time when people are ill and suffering, they may have no money to buy medications; while the government spends money and medicine for those who will be executed shortly. It is a kind of waste of resources. If there is a person, who is dangerous and destructive, he or she has to be isolated; murder is a reason for death penalty. There are objections to such measure of punishment and debates are still held. Anyhow, doctors and medicines have to be used for healing people. Medicine values reject healing for killing. I would

Examine and reflect how the practice of entrepreneurship today, in an Assignment

Examine and reflect how the practice of entrepreneurship today, in an ultra competitive environment, - Assignment Example An entrepreneur is not a surveyor having the apt maps and data at one’s disposal, but rather an explorer that has a hunch that something marvelous exists, at the very next turn. It is about the ability to take risk, about trying new permutations and combinations, about exploiting the till now ignored resources and above all, a willingness to face and manage any possible resistance and opposition (Welsch 32). May sound conservative, but, in a way, all entrepreneurs could be deemed to be destructive. However, it is a destructive attitude with an innovative and creative bent of mind. Certainly, entrepreneurship gives way to innovation, which alters, recombines and realigns the already existing values and way of doing things. All entrepreneurs have a discontented heart. They know that going by the scarce resources at their disposal; it is only creativity and ingenuity that will help them to be a success. So, most of the entrepreneurs shatter the available stereotypes and models of doing business, and replace them with something new and untried (Assudani 197). Therefore, entrepreneurship and a creative rebellion go hand in hand. Truly speaking, an entrepreneur is to be considered an entrepreneur only so long as one is committed to innovation and change (Assudani 197). It is all about recombining and reformatting the available information and resources in ways that escaped the attention, or p ut to question the gumption of earlier generations. Hence, by their very nature, most of the entrepreneurial initiatives are bound to come across resistance and opposition. In the contemporary times, good business is about creating the right balance between innovation and tradition. While entrepreneurship helps a business break into new and untried grounds, tradition helps keep it on a sound and stable footing. Inability to manage and reconcile innovation and

Becoming Gendered Essay Example for Free

Becoming Gendered Essay Davies argues that the sex role socialization theory does not adequately explain how we understand and become man and woman (p282). She concedes that the social structure with which man is entrenched; influence the conception of gender but the individual is as much a part of that process as the social environment. Davies says that man is an agent in his/her gendered identity, we choose to be masculine or feminine in the context of our social realities and that it is not tied to biology. In the movie Sabrina (1995), after being sent to Paris and transformed into a sophisticated woman of the world, David became enamored with her. David responded to her charms when she became feminine and did not notice her when she was boyish and ugly. Sabrina was masculine because she did not have a female figure to emulate, but within the same environment she was able to recognize the attraction she felt for the opposite sex and although it was depicted as a coming of age realization, socialization does not fully demonstrate the shift in gender roles (Rakow, 1986; 12). Davies was correct when she said that the individual is an active and engaged participant in becoming gendered (p284), Sabrina may have become feminine in her ways, but she was independent, headstrong and speaks her mind, all of which are masculine traits which she had imbibed while she was growing up. Davies (p289) suggested that we become gendered because it is what society expects, Sabrina has to be feminine because she was female and the world responds to that reality based on their conception of what is feminine and masculine. References Pollack, S. (Director). (1995, December 15). Sabrina, Constellation Entertainment. Davies, B. (2001). Becoming male or female. In S. Jackson S. Scott (Eds.), Gender (pp. 280-290). London: Routledge . Rakow, L. (1986) Rethinking Gender Research in Communication, Journal of Communication, Volume 36, No. 4, pp.11-26.

Marriage and Muslim Law

Marriage and Muslim Law The researcher has adopted a doctrinal form of research to do his project. The project entails the researcher to analyzes the concept of marriage under muslim law. Various sources both primary and secondary sources have been consulted for the same. No part of this project is plagiarized and the project is the original work of the researcher. Introduction To what extent is sharia a fixed set of norms that apply to all Muslims? Many assume that sharia rules can simply be found either by reading the Quran, or by listening to the opinion of any Muslim priest. They also assume that all Muslims are bound by the same rules, and that sharia rules can thusbe enforced across national borders to all Muslims equally, in the MiddleEast, Africa, Asia, and Europe. But is this correct? And if not, what then is the correct understanding of sharia? When people refer to the sharia, they are, in fact, referring to their sharia in the name of the eternal will of the Almighty God. The variety of meanings of sharia has given rise to a flexible, multi-interpretable discourse about sharia and law which moves smoothly from one meaning of sharia to another. Marriage or Nikah in Islamic law is a contract pure and simple needing no writing and no scared rites. All that is necessary is offer and acceptance made in the presence and hearing of two male or female witnesses and recording the factum of marriage in the Nikah Register maintained in every mosque signed by the parties and attested by witnesses. It is payable to the wife on the dissolution of marriage or death or divorce. In India, there is no need to register the Muslim marriage, as there is no law requiring registration. I am grateful to Dr.Vijender Kumar to give me this valuable opportunity to do a project on The Concept of Marriage under Muslim Law. We have seen, it is the family law that has always represented the very heart of the Sharia, for it is this part of the law that is regarded by the Muslims as entering into the very warp and woof of their religion. Generally speaking, in the law of the family alone that the Sharia is still applied to some four hundred million Muslims, for it is virtually only in the Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan, Northern Nigeria that the Sharia is applied today, as such, outside the sphere of family relations and personal status. It is precisely in regards to the law of marriage and divorce that the battle is joined today between the forces of conservatism and and progress in the Muslim world, and the vicissitudes of that battle provide, as we have seen, a gauge of social progress, a mirror of the advance of modernism in Islam, and an illustration of how a nominally immutable law can be changed in practice. Let us start then with a summary statement of Islamic law in these matters. A Muslim woman is bound to monogamy, while a Muslim man may have as many as four wives at once, but no more. In addition, the Ithna Ashari branch of the Shia, alone , allows him to have any number temporary marriages, or marriage of enjoyment, while all schools allow a man to indulge rights of concubinage with his own female slaves. Any sexual intercourse outside these limits  [1]  constitute zina, or illicit sex relations, for which the punishment is death by stoning in the case of an offender who has ever consummated a lawful marriage, and one hundred lashes in the case of others. But these penalties can seldom be properly imposed because of the exceedingly exacting standard of proof required, and the principle that such punishments are averted by any circumstance of doubt-besides the fact that Islamic criminal law has today only a very limited application. In addition a Muslim husband may repudiate his wife or wives at any time and at his unilateral discretion. So much for a very general summary. It is essential, however, first to consider this against its historical background and then elaborate it in greater detail. Marriages in Islam Islam, unlike other religions is a strong advocate of marriage. There is no place for celibacy like, for example the Roman Catholic priests and nuns. The prophet (pbuh) has said there is no celibacy in Islam. Marriage is a religious duty and is consequently a moral safeguard as well as a social necessity. Islam does not equal celibacy with high taqwa / Iman. The prophet has also said, Marriage is my tradition who so ever keeps away there from is not from amongst me. Marriage acts as an outlet for sexual needs and regulate it so one does not become a slave to his/ her desires. It is a social necessity because through marriage, families are established and the family is the fundamental unit of our society. Furthermore, marriage is the only legitimate or halal way to indulge in intimacy between a man and a woman. Islam takes a middle of the road position to sexual relations , it neither condemns it like certain religions, nor does it allow it freely. Islam urges us to control and regulate our desires, whatever they may be so that we remain dignified and not become like animals. Historical Background In pre-Islamic Arabia, it seems, there were several types of marriage, ranging probably from the patrilineal and including the so-called marriage of temporary enjoyment. The most respectable form, however, was a patrilineal marriage in which the groom paid a dower for, or to, his bride. This has developed no doubt, out of the widespread custom of paying bride-wealth to the tribe or the family of the bride for the loss of her reproductive capacity and as a stabilization both of the union and of the relation between two families; but it would seem that even before the the advent of Islam the dower had come to be regarded in Arabia as properly belonging to the bride herself. In any case this is a characteristic of the Islamic law of marriage, however much it is still disregarded in practice in some quarters. Muslim jurists often in fact employ the simile of sale, and regard the dower as consideration for marital rights-a consideration that constitutes an essential element in every Muslim marriage. Nor is this dower repayable on divorce, in Islamic law, once the marriage has been consummated, even where the wife is primarily at fault, except by her own voluntary agreement. Hanafis, on the other hand, consider that an adult woman may contract herself in marriage provided she chooses a husband who is her equal in respect of family, trade, religion, and so forth; that only minors may be given in marriage without their consent; and that even minors have an option of repudiating such a marriage when they reach majority I all cases in which the guardian who acted for them was other than father or grandfather.  [2]  The other Sunni schools exclude marriage by compulsion by any except the father or fathers father (or, in the case of the Malikis, the father or father or his executor); but they extend such compulsion, in respect of virgins daughters, far beyond majority. In addition, a man is prohibited from being married, at one and the same time, to two women who would be debarred, were one of them a male, from marrying each other;  [3]   An Overview of Concept of Marriage in Muslim Law Islam, unlike other religions is a strong advocate of marriage. There is no place of celibacy in Islam like the Roman Catholic priests nuns. The Prophet has said There is no Celibacy in Islam. Marriage acts as an outlet for sexual needs regulates it so one doesnt become slave to his/her desires. It is a social need because through marriage, families are established and the families are the fundamental entity of our society. Furthermore marriage is the only legitimate or halal way to indulge in intimacy between a man and woman. Islamic marriage although permits polygamy but it completely prohibits polyandry. Polygamy though permitted was guarded by several conditions by Prophet but these conditions are not obeyed by the Muslims in toto. Marriage:-Pre Islamic Position Before the birth of Islam there were several traditions in Arab. These traditions were having several unethical processes like:- (i) Buying of girl from parents by paying a sum of money. (ii) Temporary marriages. (iii) Marriage with two real sisters simultaneously. (iv) Freeness of giving up and again accepting women. These unethical traditions of the society needed to be abolished; Islam did it and brought a drastic change in the concept of marriage. Marriage Defined It is quiet relevant to know whether the Muslim marriage is a sacrament like the Hindu marriage, for this let us get acquainted with some of the definitions of Muslim marriage. (a)  Hedaya  [4]  : Marriage is a legal process by which the several process and procreation and legitimation of children between man and women is perfectly lawful and valid. (b)  Bailies Digest  [5]  :- A Nikah in Arabic means Union of the series and carries a civil contract for the purposes of legalizing sexual intercourse and legitimate procreation of children. (c)  Ameer Ali  Ã‚  [6]  :- Marriage is an organization for the protection of the society. This is made to protect the society from foulness and unchestity. (d)  Abdur Rahim  [7]  :- The Mahomedan priests regard the institution of marriage as par taking both the nature of Ibadat or devotional arts and Muamlat or dealings among men. (e)  Mahmood J.  [8]  :- Marriage according to the Mahomedan law is not a sacrament but a civil contract. (f) Under Section 2 of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 Marriage or Nikah among Muslims is a Solemn Pact or Mithaq-e-ghalid between a man a woman soliciting each others life companionship, which in law takes the form of a contract or aqd. Its a matter of query still existing whether Muslim marriage is only a civil contract or an Ibadat Muamlat. While unleashing the various definitions its quite a big problem to say which one is the most appropriate, in my opinion although the essentials of a contract is fulfilled yet marriage can never be said to be a contract because marriage always creates a bondage between the emotions and thinking of two person. .J Sarsah Sulaiman  [9]  has said In Islam , marriage is not only a civil contract but also a sacrament. Muslim marriage can also be differentiated from a civil contract on the basis of following points:- (a) It cannot be done on the basis of future happenings unlike the contingent contracts. (b) Unlike the civil contract it cannot be done for a fixed period of time. (Muta Marriage being an exception.) Purpose of Marriage The word Zawj is used in the Quran to mean a pair or a mate. The general purpose of marriage is that the sexes can provide company to one another, procreate legitimate children live in peace tranquility to the commandments of Allah. Marriage serves as a mean to emotional sexual gratification and as a mean of tension reduction. Marriage compulsory or not ? According to Imams Abu Hanifa, Ahmad ibn Hanbal Malik ibn Anas, marriage in Islam is recommendatory, however in certain individuals it becomes Wajib or obligatory. Imam Shafi considers it to Nafl or Mubah (preferable). The general opinion is that if a person , male or female fears that if he/she does not marry they will commit fornication, then marriage becomes Wajib. However, one should not marry if he does not possess the means to maintain a wife and future family or if he has no sex drive or if dislikes children, or if he feels marriage will seriously affect his religious obligations. Prophet said:- When a man marries he has fulfilled half of his religion, so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half. This very wording of Prophet marks the importance of marriage, thus it could be well concluded that marriage in Islam is must. Capacity for Marriage The general essentials for marriage under Islam are as follows:- (i) Every Mahomedan of sound mind and having attained puberty can marry. Where there is no proof or evidence of puberty the age of puberty is fifteen years. (ii) A minor and insane (lunatic) who have not attained puberty can be validly contracted in marriage by their respective guardians. (iii) Consent of party is must. A marriage of a Mahomedan who is of sound mind and has attained puberty, is void, if there is no consent. Requirements of Muslim Nikah The solemnization of a Muslim marriage requires adherence to certain forms and formulas. They are called the essentials of a valid marriage. If any of these requirements is not fulfilled the marriage becomes either void or irregular, as the case may be. The essentials are as follows: Proposal and Acceptance Competent Parties No legal Disability Absolute Prohibition There is absolute prohibition of marriage in case or relationship of consanguinity which means the relationship of the person through his/her father or mother on the ascending side, or through his or her own on the descending side. Marriage among the persons related by affinity, ie, through the wife is not permitted. Marriage with foster mother and other related through such foster mother is also void. Relative Prohibitions : Unlawful conjunction Marrying a fifth wife Marrying a woman undergoing iddat Marrying non-Muslim Absence of proper witnesses Woman contracting a second marriage during the subsistence of the first marriage. The following marriages are also prohibited: Marrying pregnant women Marrying own divorced wife Marrying during pilgrimage Essentials of Marriage The essentials of a valid marriage are as follows:- (i) There should be a proposal made by or on behalf of one of the parties to the marriage, and an acceptance of the proposal by or on behalf of the other party. (ii) The proposal and acceptance must both be expressed at once meeting. (iii) The parties must be competent. (iv) There must be two male or one male two female witnesses, who must be sane and adult Mahomedan present hearing during the marriage proposal and acceptance. (Not needed in Shia Law) (v) Neither writing nor any religious ceremony is needed. Essentials Explored (i) A Muslim marriage requires proposal Ijab from one party and acceptance Qubul from the other side. This must be done in one sitting. (ii) The acceptance must be corresponding to what is being offered. (iii) The marriage must be effectively immediate. If the Wali says I will marry her to you after two months, there is no marriage. (iv) The two parties must be legally competent; i.e. they must be sane and adult. (v) The women must not be from the forbidden class. (vi) The consent given must be free consent,. It must not be an outcome of compulsion, duess, coercion or undue influence. Kinds of Marriage Under Muslim generally two types of marriage is recognized   (i) Regular Marriage (essentials discussed earlier) (ii) Muta marriage Muta Marriage: Muta marriage is a temporary marriage. Muta marriage is recognized in Shia only. Sunni law doesnt recognize it. (Baillie, 18). A Shia of the male sex may contract a Muta marriage with a woman professing the Mahomedan, Christian or Jewish religion, or even with a woman who is a fire worshipper but not with any woman following any other religion. But a Shia woman cannot contract a Muta marriage with a non muslim. The essentials of Muta marriage are:- (1) The period of cohabitation should be fixed. (2) Dower should be fixed. (3) If dower specified, term not specified, it could amount to permanent or regular marriage. (4) If term fixed dower not specified, it amounts to void marriage. Aspects of Marriage (i) Valid or Sahih (ii) Irregular or Fasid (iii) Void or Batil (i) Valid or Sahih Marriage: -  Under the Muslim law, a valid marriage is that which has been constituted in accordance with the essential conditioned prescribed earlier. It confers upon the wife; the right of dower, maintenance and residence, imposes on her obligation to be faithful and obedient to her husband, admit sexual intercourse with him observe Iddat. (ii) Irregular or Fasid Marriage:   Those marriages which are outcome of failures on part of parties in non fulfillment of prerequisites but then also are marriages; to be terminated by one of he party is termed to be Irregular marriages. They are outcome of- (a) A marriage without witness (Not under Shia Law) (b) Marriage with fifth wife. (c) Marriage with a women undergoing Iddat. (d) Marriage with a fire-worshipper. (e) Marriage outcome of bar of unlawful conjunction. An irregular marriage has no legal effect before consummation but when consummated give rise to several rights obligations. (iii) Void or Batil Marriage:- A marriage which is unlawful from its beginning. It does not create any civil rights or obligations between the parties. The offspring of a void marriage is illegitimate. They are outcome of- (a) Marriage through forced consent. (b) Plurality of husband. (c) Marriage prohibited on the ground of consanguinity. (d) Marriage prohibited on the ground of affinity. (e) Marriage prohibited on the ground of fosterage. Effect of Marriage (Sahih) The lawful obligations which arise after marriage are as follows- (i) Mutual intercourse legalized and the children so born are legitimate. (ii) The wife gets power to get Mahr (iii) The wife entitles to get maintenance. (iv) The husband gets right to guide and prohibit the wifes movement(for valid reasons only) (v) Right of succession develops. (vi) Prohibition of marriage due to affinity. (vii) Women bound to complete Iddat period not to marry during Iddat period; after divorce or death of husband. The ob ligations and rights set between the two parties during and after the marriage are to be enforced till legality. On the basis of a marriage husband and wife do not get the right on one anothers property. THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY: 1. Engagement or Mangni: Does not qualify the future spouses to go out together, even if the parents consent. Man and woman become permissible for each other only after the performance of Nikah. 2. Dowry: The unislamic system of demanding and accepting dowry must be avoided at all costs. Shariah does not make any expense incumbent on the bride/brides parents. Even the marriage expenses, it is recommended to be borne by the bridegroom. However, the bride can bring whatever she wants of her free will, and it will always belong to her. 3. Other Unislamic Customs: Many other unislamic customs have crept into the marriage ceremony of some Muslims. These customs are either borrowed from non-Muslim cultures or continue because they are established in past generations. One must avoid them if they are against the Shariah, even if some people are displeased. Other customs like the breaking of coconut etc. also do not feature among the Islamic rituals. All actions, customs etc., which show disrespect to Islam or weaken the importance of Islam, have to be avoided. 4. Haraam Acts: Some of the rituals in marriage ceremonies are absolutely Haraam like the playing of music. It is also Haraam for ladies to go for mixed gatherings without proper Hijab. Such things invite divine wrath and take away the blessings of this auspicious occasion. In the Islamic Law, marriage is an Aqd, a contract. The components of this contract are as follows: A. Proposal: In Islam the process of proposal by a man to a woman for her hand in marriage, or for that matter, to her family, is encouraged. Islam considers this natural, and recommends it as an act of respectability and dignity for women. B. Mahr: And the intending husband is asked to offer a Mahr to the bride. Holy Quran says, And give women their Mahr as a free gift, but if they of themselves be pleased to give up to you a portion of it, then eat it with enjoyment and with wholesome result. (Surah Nisa 4:4) The following points are worthy of consideration: a) Mahr must be agreed upon by the marrying partners themselves, not by parents. b) Mahr is her right, to which her husband remains indebted. c) It is a free gift and not her price. The Mahr may be cash, kind or non-material (like training or teaching something). It can be paid up front or can be in form of promise to pay upon demands decided prior to the solemnization of marriage. Moajjal (immediate), Muwajjal and Indat-talab (on demand). However, it is much recommended to pay it before or at the time of Nikah itself. C. The Nikah Ceremony: According to Shariah, the wife-to-be says, An Kahtu nafsaka alal mahril maloom. (I have given away myself in Nikah to you, on the agreed Mahr.).Immediately, the man (bridegroom) says, Qabiltun Nikaha. (I have accepted the Nikah.).With these pronouncements, they become husband and wife. If the marrying partners are not able to recite the formula in Arabic, one or two persons or priests are appointed and authorized to officiate. One who represents the bride would first seek her explicit consent to officiate on her behalf, and so would the other who acts on behalf of the groom. Naturally, there would be a slight variation in the pronouncements, because the persons reciting them are appointees. A person who represents the bride would initiate by saying, Ankahtu muwakkilati muwakkilaka alal mahril maloom. (I give away in Nikah the woman who has thus appointed and authorized me, to the man who has authorized you, on an agreed Mahr.) The grooms representative would respond, Qabiltunnikaaha limuwakkili alal mahril maloom. (I accept the Nikah on behalf of the one who has appointed me, on the agreed Mahr.) It is mustahab to recite a brief discourse or Khutba before the Nikah formula is enunciated. In this Khutba, Allah is praised for His Wisdom in regulating the lawful process of procreation, and then the traditions from Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) are also recited. D. Time of Marriage Ceremony: Though basically marriage is allowed at all times, there are some days on which marriage is not recommended; some of these are based on ahadith and some on cultural, historical reasons.Generally, we can categorize these days into three: (a) There are some ahadith which say that it is makruh (not recommended) to have a marriage ceremony on the days when the moon is in the constellation of Scorpio (this is known as al-qamar fil aqrab or qamar dar aqrab), during the last two or three days of the lunar months, and on Wednesdays. (b) There are certain days of the Islamic calendar, which have become associated with the early events of the Islamic history; for example, the 10th of Muharram is the day of mourning for the massacre at Karbala or the day of Holy Prophet Muhammads (s.a.w.) death in Safar, etc. Since such days are commemorated by the Muslims as days of mourning, it is socially and, to some extent, religiously not recommended to have a marriage ceremo ny on such days. Shia Ithna Ashari (Twelver Shias), especially in India and Pakistan, rarely perform marriage ceremony between the 1st of Muharram and the 8th of Rabi al-Awwal as this period includes the mourning days of Muharram culminating in the martyrdom of Imam Askari (a.s.). The 9th Rabi al-Awwal is celebrated as Eid-e-Zahra..If there is a need, however, Nikah, can be performed at any time. E. Permission of the Bride-to-be/Father: The girls consent is necessary and has to be taken by her representative, directly. In case of a virgin/spinster the fathers or the grandfathers permission is also necessary. However if the permission is unreasonably withheld under some conditions or the girl has no father/paternal grandfather it is not necessary. However, a woman who is not a virgin, does not require any permission in case of remarriage. Conclusion Marriage is a religious duty of every Muslim and it is considered to be a moral safeguard and a social need. The Prophet has also said Marriage is my tradition whosoever keeps away there from is not from amongst me. Holy Quran says: And marry those among you who are single and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves; if they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. (Surah Nur 24:32).The above ayat begins with the words Wa Ankehoo (And marry ) The imperative form of the word nikah implies that either it is obligatory or highly recommended. According to scholars, though marriage is a highly recommended act, it becomes obligatory when there is a chance of falling into sin.Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) says, No house has been built in Islam more beloved in the sight of Allah than through marriage. On another occasion Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said: The best people of my nation (Ummat) are those who get married and have chosen their wives, and the worst people of my nation are those who have kept away from marriage and are passing their lives as bachelors.Imam Ali (a.s.) exhorts, Marry, because marriage is the tradition of Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) also said, Whosoever likes to follow my tradition, then he should know that marriage is from my tradition. Unlike Hindu where the marriage is a sacrament, marriages in Muslims have a nature of civil contract. Marriage is necessary for the legitimization of a child. When the marriage is done in accordance to the prescribed norms it creates various rights and obligations on both the parties.