Could arranged marriages work in Britain?

[AB Asks]

Arranged marriages are commonplace in other cultures, often being the normal way for people to meet their future husband or wife. In Britain however the practice is generally treated with suspicion, although a relatively small number of people use it. Could arranged marriages work in British society, possibly as a way of cutting the high divorce rate? Or is it just another example of a culture clash that couldn't become widespread in this country?

[redhead23]

i dont think its a good idea , i think romatic love etc shoudl come into it , not because someone is from a good family /earns a lot , or because parents want it
there are some cases of arranged marriages working really well , i dont think it will catch on here

[NikkiB]

I don't think arranged marriages could work in the mainstream British culture.
Dating is an important form of socialising in this country, we have no stigma about cohabiting and sex before marriage and ultimately, we have less pressure put upon us to keep a bad/abusive/unhappy marriage going.
There also appears to be varying degrees of arranged marriage. Some are deemed an AR purely because the parents introduced the children and left them to it. At the other end of the scale, a bride and groom only meet on their wedding day. That kind of set up will never work here - indeed, in our culture it is deemed a supreme act of foolishness to jump into matrimony with someone you don't even know. In a modern and liberal democracy how can you persuade John the city banker and Joanne the nurse to stick together and procreate despite their vast incompatibility that kicked in straight after the wedding?
AR may work in some cultures but horses for courses comes into play here.

[Octavius]

How exactly would arranged marriages reduce the divorce rate?? I can only presume that AB Asks is referring to the type of arranged marriage where the wife lives in fear of her life should she even consider divorce? The question would appear divisive. It is nothing to do with culture clash � we did it openly in the UK within the last 100 or so years (read any Bronte/Austen novel for ref).

Would one not naturally assume that people co-join in matrimony for themselves and not for their parents benefit? I thought we had moved on from the Victorian age where we could palm our daughters off (sell) to the wealthy land-owner regardless of the miserable life she may or may not end up with, providing she had cash and we (parents) had connections.

With equality and human rights in place, there is no room in our society for such things. Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition. Not something for our parents to negotiate a price over.

[spudmuffa]

Yes I do believe it would work. It couldn't do any more worse than the current British divorce rate. I would love an arranged marriage especially if they had loads of money and looked like Haille Berry. Please take my details. I am 82 years old and I always wash at least once a month. I do not smoke in between cigarettes and I enjoy the odd bottle of gin, or whisky or vodka, doesn't matter which, on a daily basis. I must admit I did have a problem soiling my trousers but I have now been fitted with the latest style of latex incontinent long-johns, which only need emptying fortnightly. Hope this helps.

[reception]

This does,nt workdidnt work then and willnot work .This was designed for the men who sexually absued their women and when they got fedup - they made their lives hell.I should know been tehir done that and am still suffering. so please lets not go their and paint the picture great because it really isn,t .