Marriage in the United States and Death Rituals in Japan - Essay Example

Marriage in United s and Death Rituals in Japan Marriage in United s and Death Rituals in Japan Introduction There are landmark events that mark transitions from one status to another. The events vary in the way they are carried out by individual communities. Communities attach meaning to rites of passage due to the social, economic or psychological alteration that they bring. The transition is seen as a gradual journey where an individual’s status becomes recognized by the large community. Special rituals are carried out for each rite of passage. Some of the rites of passage that essential in every part of the globe include marriage and death. Marriage and death mark a switch to another stage in the lifecycle of an individual. The perception of marriage in United States is different from other parts of the globe. Marriage occurs in natives and foreigners and the foundation for marriage involves romance. On the other hand, Japan features a broad range of conservative practices towards death. Japanese people carry out rituals that are used to celebrate the life of an individual with hope that they will continue living in among the living and in the afterlife. Both etic and emic perspectives for marriage in United States and death ritual practices in Japan will be analyzed in length. The paper will also focus on the distinct rituals or practices that are carried out for each rite of passage. Part I: Marriage in United States Couples engage in a period of romance and form a foundation for marriage. Americans sustain romance love with or without sexual relations. The age at which couples enter into a romantic or courtship is nearly 26. The age gives the couples time to know each and define the goals and objectives they want to accomplish in the event the relationship leads to marriage. Marriage must be built on romantic love, and the practice has received support for generations in United States. The courtship and marriage system is dependent on the emotional attraction among couples. Marriages feature women who can get employed and earn as their male counterparts in United States. Therefore, the ideals of romance love are no longer edged on financial status or contribution of the man or woman. Couples enter into marriage if their values and attitudes towards education, race, religion, education and income are compatible. Marriage is still an important instituted based on the steady existence of remarriages among divorced couples in United States. The share of remarriage has risen in recent with 29% and has been attributed to couples who feel that they want to live together with a person before retiring to death (Livingston, 2014). Additionally, marriage is a significant social entity due to economic boost coming from marriages. Newport & Wilke (2013) reported an increased spending among married couples than singles for Americans aged below 50 years. Married couples in United States recognize children rearing as a component for parenthood. United States marriages attach social importance to children because of the obligations that come with them. Marriage opens a new page for the relationship between couples because they have to dedicate their time and energy to cater for their children. The parental status that the wife gets translates to commitment of time to take of the kids while the husband becomes the sole breadwinner. Husband and wife may even lack time for each because of the new roles brought about by parenthood. The couple may not engage in exclusive talks as they used to during courtship due to the societal, political and economic expectations. Parenthood raises their status in the American society where the couples are referenced through the names of their children. Divorce is an inevitable outcome for United States marriages that do not work. Couples enter into courtship and evaluate the level of their compatibility in terms of political aspirations, economic values, and parenthood among others. However, the relationships that lead to marriage do not last until the time one of the partners dies. Couples in United States divorce often due to a myriad of reasons. The 40%-50% divorce rates among married couples in United States occur due to impotence, infertility, abuse, and infidelity among other causative factors. Marriage has been on the decline in United States since 1960 as noted by Pew Research on Trends in Remarriage in 2013. The 70% of U.S population accounts for the decline in marriages as a result of decreased stability in marriage (Livingston, 2014). Women in United States initiate divorce but the trend has declined in the recent years. Nonetheless, women still account for the two-thirds divorce cases filed at different courthouse across United States. However, there are couples who have defied the odds and last past old age and separate after death. The practices that surround death in Japan are as important as the significance that is attached to marriage in United States. Part II: The Rite of Death and Afterlife in Japan Yokho Tsuji understands the importance of death and afterlife in his country. The country has reserved practices around death and afterlife practices, but the social change has had a profound impact on the process. Japan natives know that an old person is supposed to age and die in style. Therefore, family members pay particular attention to people aged 60-111 years. A series of birthdays called kanreki are carried out for the old people when they outlive the age the community expects them to die. The special recognition occurs when a person has completed full circles and gets reborn. The rebirth is symbolized by donning the old person with baby attires. The series of birthday practices carried out in Japan have become inevitable due to the increased life expectancy for both men and women. With men averaging a life expectancy of 80 years, while women are living to 86 years, the long lives of old people must be rejoiced and reflected upon by family members (Tsuji, 2011). Kanreki is followed by a series of milestone birthdays such as Koki, kiju, sanju, beiju, sotsiju, hakuju, joju, chaju and koju that mark special events before death. An old person is initiated into the death through the rite of passages to prepare their souls for the afterlife. Tsuji (2011) reveals the traditions that are carried out in the mortuary when a person dies. Spirits of the Ancestors are honored every morning through tea, flower, and freshly cooked rice offerings before a family embarks on any activity of the day. The author grew up knowing that there will be four practices every month to honor the legacy of his grandfather and uncles. The chants of sutra are aimed at sustaining the lives of the dead in the world. The cremation is done without bones followed by feasts. The daily ancestral rituals are carried out by old women while the Japanese elderly men officiate funeral and memorial rituals only. The aim of Japanese mortuary traditions is to reveal and celebrate forefathers and identity of the deceased. Japan rite of passage to death is easier than any other part of the world because of the close connection between the living and the dead. However, the social changes have changed the face of Japanese mortuary rituals today. Tsuji reveals that taking care of the elderly is no longer a firm practice among many modern Japanese families. There are no longer nuclear families that have profound importance on the old. Additionally, the increasing number of divorces and single-parent families has reduced the significance of family as the entity that perpetuates the practice of rituals that pertain old age and eventual death. The contemporary Japan is not attached to traditional rituals that have cost implications for the family. Families have turned to eternally worshiped graves Eitai kuyo Bo as a way of recognizing the dead among the living (Tsuji, 2011). Conclusion Marriage in United States has been analyzed from an etic perspective. Factors such as compatibility, romance, parenthood, and remarriages have been highlighted to be of a significant contribution to success or failure of marriages in United States. On the other hand, the rites of passage of death in Japan feature rituals that place critical importance on the old and dead. An old person in Japan dies in style though the practice has dwindled in recent years as an outcome of social changes in the modern Japanese families. It is evident that traditional rites of passage such as marriage and death hold significance, but people should be ready to incorporate modernity in the rituals. An individual should not be tied to traditions of marriage and death that do not have social, economic or psychological benefits. References Crapo, R. (2013). Cultural anthropology (3rd ed.). Boston, Mass.: McGraw-Hill. Livingston, G. (2014). Chapter 1: Trends in Remarriage in the U.S.. Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/11/14/chapter-1-trends-in-remarriage-in-the-u-s/ Miner, H. (1956). Body Ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist, 58(3), 503-507. doi:10.1525/aa.1956.58.3.02a00080 Newport, F., & Wilke, J. (2013). Economy Would Benefit if Marriage Rate Increases in U.S.. Gallup.com. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/165599/economy-benefit-marriage-rate-increases.aspx?utm_source=marriage&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=tiles Tsuji, Y. (2011). Rites of passage to death and afterlife in Japan. Journal Of The American Society On Aging, 35(3), 28-33. Read More