Analyzing Child Marriage Through Culture and Socialization Lens

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of child marriage in Malawi, examining the interplay of culture and socialization. It begins by comparing and contrasting ethnocentrism and cultural relativism approaches to child marriage, highlighting the stark differences between practices in Malawi and developed countries like Canada. The essay then delves into how cultural ingredients such as norms, symbols, values, and beliefs articulate and support or challenge child marriage, emphasizing the traditional beliefs and customs that perpetuate the practice. Furthermore, it explores how culture shapes the socialization of young girls in Malawi, detailing the expectations placed upon them. Finally, the essay applies the culture as meaning and culture as a toolkit approaches to describe the challenges and opportunities activists face when attempting to change this practice, considering the intersection of agency, structure, culture, and socialization. The essay uses examples from CNN and TED talks to support its claims.

Running head: CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION: CHILD MARRIAGE 1
Culture and Socialization: Child Marriage
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CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION: CHILD MARRIAGE 2
Culture and Socialization: Child Marriage
1. Compare and contrast ethnocentrism and cultural relativism approaches to child marriage in
Malawi.
In developed countries like Canada there are women leadership groups that help young
girls transition from childhood into adolescent by educating them on how to deal with puberty
and maximize on education (Macionis & Gerber, Sociolization, 2018). However, in Malawi the
initiation camps that are celebrated by the community seeks to equip young girls transitioning
into adolescents with knowledge on how to please men and prepare them for marriage (TED|
Women, 2015). In Canada it is unlawful and extremely taboo for men to engage in sexually
explicit actions with young girls. In Malawi entire communities contribute funds that are used to
hire a man who is tasked with responsibility of having canal knowledge of young girl with the
objective of assessing whether they are capable of pleasing a man and they therefore have what it
takes to be married off. The Canadian culture does not support child marriages nor does it
celebrate child mothers (Macionis & Gerber, Culture, 2018). Girls are expected to be eighteen
years of age of older before they are able to consent to marriage. On the other hand, in Malawi
child marriages are celebrated and encourage making it acceptable for the society to have child
mother. The consent of the girl child towards marriage is immaterial and the parents are seen as
the ones who dictate when the child is ready for marriage.
2. Describe how ingredients of culture such as norms, symbols, and values and beliefs articulate
and support (or challenge) child marriage.
From a traditional stance, Malawians believe that a girl becomes a woman who is capable
of being married once she becomes an adolescent. Those the people of Malawi believe a girl is

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ready for marriage because her body has the potential to bare children. In addition, the cultural
norms support the idea of young families or old men marrying young girls as a second or third
wife. Girls in Malawi symbolize fertility, community growth, and companion to men; as such,
the community does not value educating young girls, the community believes that their place
should be at home taking care of the children, the house, and the husband. The ideologies and
customs making possible for child marriage to thrive in poor countries like Malawi (TED|
Women, 2015).
3. Explain how culture shapes the socialization of young girls in Malawi.
Girls are encouraged to interact with men who are considerably older than themselves as
a way preparation for marriage life. In addition, girls are expected to socialize with married
women to gain information on how they will better the marriage life and keep their husbands
happy. Overall the girls are expected to value men over education; this causes girls to appreciate
the advances of men and boys at the detriment of their academic pursuits (CNN, 2013).
4. Apply the culture as meaning or culture as a toolkit approach to describe the challenges and/or
opportunities activists like Banda and White should consider when attempting to change this
practice. Consider how agency, structure, culture and socialization intersect.
Opportunities
The two activists can showcase the benefit of having an educate woman in a household in
terms of finance, child rearing, and solving of domestic issues. By so doing they are able to
document the loss of potential wealthy and quality of life that results from forcing young girls
into early marriage. In addition, they can demonstrate how the communities can reduce the
maternal mortality rate by allowing girls to reach an acceptable age before they are able to start

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having children. In the same scope they can discuss how the transmission of STDs and HIV is
promoted by initiation camps and the practice of polygamy (CNN, 2013).
Challenge
There are four main challenges that the two activist are likely to encounter in their pursuit
to eliminate child marriage. The first challenge is the opposition from local communities who
believe that they seek to devalue or do away with the institution of marriage by encouraging girls
to not get married (TED|Women, 2015). The second obstacle will be convincing men in these
communities that they are not being undermined by asking them to let the girls reach the age of
18 before they can be offered marriage proposal. In that connection, traditional leaders may feel
attacked by the activists because they are the ones who champion for this tradition to be
practiced. Lastly, the two activists need to show that they are not trying to abolish the Malawian
traditions and culture but they seek to remove only the harm elements that cause communities to
be plagued with poverty, high maternal and child mortality rates, STDS/HIV infections, and
illiteracy (CNN, 2013).

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References
CNN (Director). (2013). Fighting Child Marriage in Malawi [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/international/2013/03/15/african-voices-seodi-white-c.cnn
Macionis, J. J., & Gerber, L. M. (2018). Culture. In J. J. Macionis, & L. M. Gerber, Sociology (9th ed., pp.
93-117). Ontario, Canada: Pearson.
Macionis, J. J., & Gerber, L. M. (2018). Sociolization. In J. J. Macionis, & L. M. Gerber, Sociology (9th ed.,
pp. 123-144). Ontario, Canada: Pearson.
TED|Women (Director). (2015). A Warrior's Cry Against Child Marriage [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/memory_banda_a_warrior_s_cry_against_child_marriage?
language=en#t-740547