Journal # 12: Marriage

     For class today we read an article about marriage in Ghana. It is not exactly akin to something you would read about marriage here. It seems like marriage as a priority in America has floated away in the wind, especially in the media. It is like it is not even a big deal. Seemingly contradictory, Prop 8 was repealed this week which drastically changes the ideas of marriage in California and even in the United States. There are stark contrasts between cultures about what is or is not acceptable but at the same time there are clusters within each culture which differs from the greater picture and within the same culture, differing values and such can change the whole dynamic of that so called bigger picture. To be honest I'm not even sure that I could define the marriage practices outside of the church that could represent those of the United States. Reading this selection about marriage in Ghana really got me thinking about motivations for marriage among different cultures, and even among people in the same cultures who hold onto different values and beliefs. I heard about an article recently where this woman went off about the 'shame of the church's history of polygamy' now I am certainly glad I did not live in that time but I also am not ashamed of it. For whatever reason, the Lord needed that to happen at that time and I would only hope that I have enough faith to follow Him in whatever He asks of me. Ploygamy in Ghana is not uncommon, in many parts of Africa even. I have read many books that talk about many different tribes and the African people are no strangers to this concept. Polyandry (one woman with multiple husbands) is even practiced among some tribes. The reality of these practices today may not be to the extent of what it was when those books were written, or maybe they are still in full swing but regardless, it exists. So with that said, what are the forces which drive people to enter into these types of marriage, lets take it one step back and ask what forces drive people to get married at all? I am not married, thus I cannot answer this question though it is something that many people have probably wondered or experienced in their lives. Seeing the differences in marriage practices and all other relationships will be fun to explore among Ghanaian culture as I anticipate it being very different from those that I am used to. Along with this concept, I am very excited to look at the relationships which gender provide as I am aware that they will have a very different dynamic than that I am used to here in the good ol United States.