The arranged marriage is a contract between families, but not between individuals. Before the talks of marriage between the parents occur, each side's parents investigate the others family background. They want to ascertain that the girl's family is of the same class, is of comparable financial situation, is of good reputation, and has no hereditary diseases. If the parents are satisfied, a family friend acts as a liaison between the families and reveals the interest of one family's child to the other. This go-between absorbs any criticism from the family, and also absorbs the praise, and gives the information back to the proposing family. Then the parents of both families begin to communicate and a meeting is set up for the prospective bride and groom to actually meet. This meeting is where the decisions are in e

By its very nature of mate-selection, the arranged marriage always furthers the class differences in the society. Caste divisions that plague Hindu societies are only promoted by such a marriage proposal. Widow remarriage, which is anathematized by arranged marriages, is now a curse in societies like India where arranged marriages are the rule. Single mothers in such societies have very few options: struggle against the odds and raise the children by themselves or live with their parents, which is commoner. Young widowed women without children are cursed to be a burden to their parents for the rest of their lives.

Unlike in the arranged marriage, a love match includes a dating and a courtship period that precedes the proposal. During their dating period, if their affections grew the man and the woman invite each other to their homes and introduce their date to their parents --- an exact opposite of the arranged marriage introduction where the parents introduce the girl to the man. When the love is strong enough, these proposals move toward a formal engagement even if the parents of both or either side do not approve. If the parents do not initiate a marriage proposal for their son or daughter, then it is more likely that this man or woman will benefit from a love-based marriage. Essentially the opinion of the parents plays a diminishing role in a love-based marriage.

A love-based marriage is arranged by the individuals involved and only them. In an absolute love marriage the couples do not necessarily get introduced by their parents. They meet in their day-to-day life; they meet academically as business contacts, schoolmates, churchmates. They meet locally as childhood playmates

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Approximate Word count = 1142
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)