Institutional Artifact project Jhulio Vargas

Marriage, from the family institution, provides one of the best gender analysis as it involves both men and women. Even though many describe the conventional form of marriage as a mutual commitment between a man and woman, it is quite obvious that the man is always seen as the ‘provider’ while the woman is expected to be ‘submissive’. As one of the highest and most important institutions in the society, there are several misconceptions surrounding the roles of both men and women when it comes to this particular institution (DeFrancisco et.al, 130). For instance, people think that once a woman is married they should stop working and become housewives, and when it is not the case, the woman in question is immediately judged by the rest of the society. For the man, however, it is quite different as they are barely questioned whether or not they are taking care of their families. The world tends to depend on already constructed views about men and women, thereby judging each one of them based on these views (Kang et.al, 10). In that light, this essay discusses marriage as an artifact from the institution of the family that can be analyzed from a gendered perspective. The aspect of gender is important in marriage that is mostly governed by societal norms that determine the various roles, opportunities and statuses given to both men and women, proof that it is an artifact where gender difference exists.

The artifact and its context

Marriage is a key element of the society that may mean different things for different people. Even though not many may agree to a single meaning of the term ‘marriage’, a good number believe that it is a legally recognized social contract between mature people who are bound by a sexual relationship and permanence of the contract. For others, marriage is simply a formal relationship between a man and a woman with the sole purpose of procreating, companionship and sanctifying their past physical relationship between the two. Regardless of whether it is bound by affection and mutual responsibility, marriage is legally recognized as an institution that is meant to boost social stability and maintain life. However, apart from the same sex marriages, all the other forms are linked to gender differences, nature of man and woman and biological representativeness.

How the artifact helps understand the aspect of gender

First, marriage is viewed as a social institution formed as a result of a social construction usually between two genders (male and female). Once two people get married, their expression of masculinity and femininity becomes something that is determined by family norms, arrangements, values and societal settings (Foss et.al). With these guidelines, it is always assumed that both genders should openly embrace this arrangement once married, because each one knows their place. Since the institution of marriage has also been with us for generations, it has since transmitted rules of conducts that have been different between men and women from one generation to the other (Kang et.al, 42). With such rules, it often appears like through marriage, men and women sign up for a ‘permanent union’ with predetermined ‘guidelines’ on what is expected of them. Still, the institution is believed to have an impact on other aspects such as gender identity, expression and sexual attraction that vary between the two genders. For instance, it is through marriage that we all know the role of the mother, the father and the children, including how they should wear and establish sexual relationships. For the woman, her role is usually to raise children, prepare meals and take care of the family, while the man’s role is to provide basic needs and security to the family (Kang et.al, 39). Traditionally, the woman’s achievement was based on the happiness of her home and the overall behavior of her children, while that of the man was founded upon his ability to provide. Despite the current modernization and the alterations to the traditional meaning of marriage, nonetheless, marriage is still deeply rooted in elements of gender inequality, patriarchy and gender identity/ expression. 

The analysis

Personally, I feel like the marriage artifact has for years contributed to the way women and men are viewed in the society. This is an institution that has painted men and women in a certain way, which people have always believed. I believe that the artifact was formed to illustrate the place of both men and women in the society. Initially, through the biblical creation story, we see that a woman was made to be man’s helper, and that is what marriage sometimes portrays. Still, people learn a lot about the place of both men and women just by watching married couples, and almost everyone may agree to the fact that what we hear and see in regards to marriage has an impact on them. The same people get to witness the roles that each gender plays, how they relate and communicate, including how they treat one another, and they learn a lot from that. Likewise, a child who grows up seeing his/her mother work hard, pay bills in the house and relate properly with his father, grows up knowing that women can work and still be good mothers/wives. The case is quite different for a child who witnesses his mother being battered, forced to stay home and take care of the family as they may grow up knowing that women are just supposed to be submissive and mere caregivers. While this is an artifact that mostly refers to men and women as husbands and wives, it often paints the masculine partner as the breadwinner and the feminine one as the homemaker. In other words, I consider marriage as a perfect reflection of the differences between men and women, including their roles, characteristics and societal expectations that have for decades placed the two in different worlds.

The study of gender differences is definitely a hot subject in the modern world, not just in families but also in workplaces and politics. Throughout history to date, gender difference between men and women is something that has existed in the social life and environment of the people. Gender is what is often used to differentiate between men and women, not only physically and mentally, but also their differential societal roles. For this paper, though, the main differences come from discussing the element of gender through the family (marriage). From the meaning and the nature of marriage, it is easy to comprehend how the two genders have for centuries been separated based on what is expected of them. Even though the origin of these differences is not entirely known, there are certain societal pressures that push both men and women to play certain roles and act accordingly when it comes to marriage. With claims that marriages often present the opportunity for one gender to dominate the other, it is reasonable to conclude that the family is like any other institution where women do not experience same authority/opportunities as men.

Works Cited

DeFrancisco, Victoria Pruin, Catherine Helen Palczewski, and Danielle E. McGeough. Gender in communication: A critical introduction. SAGE Publications, Inc., 2014. pp.129-137

Foss, Sonja K., Mary E. Domenico, and Karen A. Foss. Gender stories: Negotiating identity in a binary world. Waveland Press, 2012. pp. 1-29

Kang, Miliann, et al. Introduction to women, gender, sexuality studies. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries, 2017. pp. 9-42