Gender Analysis of an Institutional Artifact
The marriage institution allows for a platform to analyze the subject of gender. When it comes to marriages, therefore, most people prefer making it official through a sacred ceremony and special ritual commonly referred to as a ‘wedding’. The religious wedding ceremony is an artifact that has existed within us for decades, probably one that often illustrates the meaning of sexual relationships and behaviors among humans. Nonetheless, while the manner in which religious wedding ceremonies are conducted has dramatically changed over the years, they still offer the opportunity for people to reflect on the topic of gender in general. For instance, this is a ceremony where both men and women play different roles; they put on different attires and they are each expected to behave in a certain manner. When one looks at gender, in reference to anything, it does not always mean just the women, it also means looking at how different things are done out of the experience of being a man or a woman (Kang 11). For instance, in a gay wedding ceremony couples of the same sex who play quite the same roles; they put on almost the same attires and they are assumed to be the ‘same’ since they are of the same sex. When one looks at gender in reference to such weddings, it does not always mean being a man or a woman, it also means looking at how different things are done out of the experience of being a man or a woman (Kang 11). In that light, this essay provides a sexed/gendered analysis of the ‘religious wedding ceremony’ as an institutional artifact. Applying gender lens to the artifact of the religious wedding ceremony illustrates that men and women are socially accustomed to occupy dissimilar roles, expectations and challenges that allow them to be treated differently thereby creating biases, barriers and indifferences, lessons that people can learn when it comes to redefining gender roles
The artifact and its context
A religious wedding ceremony is an artifact that remains quite symbolic for different people and regions across the world. Traditionally, it was said to be a ceremony that was more of a spiritual celebration meant to bring the people together as a symbol of sharing life forever. For such a ceremony to happen, the couple must not just be strong in faith and religion, they are also required to enroll in pre-marital counseling and attend services occasionally before the actual wedding day. Usually, such weddings are associated with artifacts such as a white wedding dress, music, an album, vows and flowers. The selection and meaning of these particular artifacts in any typical religious wedding make the event appear quite sacred for those involved. In such a wedding ceremony, the couple is also expected to say the ‘Till Death Do us Apart’ wedding vows, exchange rings, unify the event, sign a marriage license, declare that they are officially married and then head out to the reception. So, during the entire time from the ceremony to the reception, a religious wedding is one that is fully governed by certain traditional customs that are often handed down from generation to generation.
For gay couples, a wedding ceremony as an artifact remains quite symbolic for different people and regions across the world. Same-sex ceremonies often come up with different ways to change what the crowd thinks when it comes to a traditional ceremony. Such ceremonies do not always do things the same way as opposite-sex couples’ wedding, particularly when it comes to walking down the aisle, choice of song, speeches, labels and displaying affection to the crowd. Whereas there are those who think that planning such a wedding can be reasonably difficult, this is one ceremony that always turns out to be beautiful right from the procession to the reception.
How the artifact helps understand the aspect of gender
While attending a religious ceremony, irrespective of whether it is a gay wedding or one between a man and a woman, it is easy to notice how certain things that actually happen in the event reflect on the aspect of gender. Traditionally, weddings between a man and a woman were said to be highly-gendered when it comes to the expectations and roles played by both genders. For instance, when it comes to stereotypical gender roles, the bride is expected to wear a white dress, carry a bouquet of flower and take her husband’s name, while the man is expected to wear a suit and ask the bride’s father’s permission (DeFrancisco et.al, 133). These practices have grown tremendously, and are now very common among people; this is so, that they tend to be assumed as very important and necessary in the ceremony. It is true that there are alternatives to most of these conservative wedding artifacts, ones which people need to consider. For instance, while the white dress might currently be a standard artifact, it was just introduced by Queen Victoria back in the 19th century and does not have to be a norm. Customarily, the bride is expected to wear white as a symbol of purity and innocence on her wedding day, a color that may not necessarily portray who they are. Then there is also the aspect of handing off the bride to the groom by her father that often happens in conventional weddings till date. Men often find it respectful to acquire the bride’s father’s blessings before legalizing the marriage, but others would rather view it as an outdated practice that needs to stop. Interestingly, the same weddings are said to be the ‘bride’s day’ as though the man is not to be fully involved or honored as much as the woman.
On the other hand, in a gay wedding the ceremony portrays the values of the couple, including who they are. This makes same-sex wedding ceremonies different; not just because they are based on the couple’s creativity, but also because they lack a specific guideline to be adhered to. Whether it is a lesbian or a gay ceremony, there are a number of ways in which the couple may decide to walk down the aisle. For example, the couple may walk together, one partner may do it first then the other follows or the couple can have more than one aisle. So, with the gay-wedding ceremony, who walks down the aisle, who waits for the other or who makes the speech may not necessarily matter.
By viewing the artifact of religious wedding ceremony using the aspect of gender, I realize that most of the things which happen in weddings remain intensely gendered. Arguably, weddings are good, but they tend to portray different genders in a certain way. For instance, feminists would argue that certain traditions need to be done away with, to reduce the many barriers that are created in the process. Through the traditional wedding gown, a woman is restricted to wear white on ‘her day’ even though it does not reflect on her personality. Still, the same woman is handed over from her father to her husband as though she is a burden or property (Foss 16). While the other traditions such as the standing ovation and the ‘first look’ appear to be moderately harmless in wedding ceremonies, they often paint women as ‘romantic’ objects that need to be admired by everyone. While looking at the crowd, they want to attend weddings to witness how beautiful the bride is or how the groom stares at her or to know who catches the bouquet and garter. As a result, I hold that the religious wedding ceremony is an artifact that implies that there is only one way of saying ‘I do’ and that it is the only wedding custom that religious people should adhere to. Some practices and artifacts are sweet, others are mystifying, yet others are just bizarre. Thanks to same-sex weddings, a lot has changed ever since they were legalized. These ceremonies have taught the world that gender roles can be re-defined, and that it is not always about ‘who the bride is’ and ‘who the groom is’.
The gendered nature of a religious wedding often portrays itself even before the wedding day, usually through the proposal that is mostly done by the man. More gender distinctions begin to reveal themselves throughout the planning process and on the day of the wedding. A couple of examples make it easy to comprehend that religious weddings are full of gendered practices and traditions that often promote the continuity of gender inequality and sexism. It is the perceptions that people have towards masculinity and femininity that determine the roles that both men and women play within weddings. When certain things such as throwing the bouquet or the bride walking down the aisle are omitted from the wedding, then it is seen as less traditional. In other words, a religious wedding ceremony is an artifact that illustrates that gender inequality is propagated through the presence of gender unequal roles, sexism, stereotypical beliefs and the gender differences linked to certain wedding practices.
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
