investigated the differences in levels of love, satisfaction, and commitment between arranged and love-based marriages of Indian-American culture (2012). This research indicated that there are no differences between participants in an arranged marriage and participants in love-based marriages, contrary to the expected results that a different power dynamic in arranged marriages, perhaps caused by the attainment of status and security as a primary goal of marriage, would undermine a couple’s affection for one another. The gap in belief systems between arranged and love-based marriages could be explained with neutralization theory, where the individuals getting married are not responsible for the process. They deny the responsibility because their parents or religious elders choose their partner for them. If the marriage doesn’t live up to expectations and the couple doesn’t fall in love after the marriage ceremony, they are able to condemn the arrangers of the marriage and blame them for choosing the wrong partner, or may be able to appeal to legal or religious authorities for divorce. The results of this research may also suggest that romantic love is a socially constructed concept, and different cultures evaluate this term in entirely different methods. Without the bridal industry to instruct young people how they should approach relationships, there is no defined process or timeline for dating, engagement, and marriage. Some individuals might wait a week before getting married, whereas others may date for a decade before fully committing. Social bonds to peers and family members dictate many of the individual’s choices in dating. General knowledge about arranged marriages has recently been popularized in television shows such as My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding, a reality television series which has illustrated a minority’s approach to the wedding culture and reinforced many stereotypes about Roma gypsies. In Roma culture, the grandeur of a wedding dress is a proxy for measuring the bride’s social class; larger size and more jewels symbolize greater wealth and higher status. It is also a reflection of the “modern inclination towards big, sparkly dresses” (Tremlett, 2014). In the United States, this is a result of Disney’s marketing and the “princess obsession”. In reality television shows about Roma culture, the “princess obsession” is used to further marginalize
47 this group in society. For upper- and middle-class people, an elaborate dress is considered to be regal and tasteful, whereas a similar dress worn by lower-class people may be seen as tacky and too extravagant. This illustrates Marxist ideas about economic power and social status being used as powerful weapons that allow the dominant class to make rules for everyone, including minorities that reject their ideas and values. The cultural framework surrounding weddings heavily relies on social constructionism, and television shows about weddings, such as Say Yes to the Dress, Four Weddings, and Bulging Brides, are a powerful socializing agent, as they give a relatively coherent system of messages (Osborn, 2012). Hirschi’s social control theory states that an individual’s actions can be attributed to their bonds with people around them, defined by their attachment, commitments, involvements, and beliefs. The attachment aspect is based on people’s sensitivity to other’s opinions; commitment is the amount of investment in the activity; involvement is defined by the amount of time spent engaged in the activity; and beliefs are defined by how strongly the individual accepts the common belief system. Osborn’s research reveals that a personal belief in these television portrayals, rather than amount of time spent watching them, is the greatest predictor for attitudes toward wedding culture (2012). Theoretically, the prominence of the bridal industry in Western culture is a convincing indicator that the values the industry portrays are widely shared. The television show Four Weddings emphasizes the attachment bond, where brides attend and rate each other’s weddings. While Osborn’s research indicates that viewers of the show do not necessarily subscribe to others’ opinions and values when it comes to wedding culture, the participants are fully invested. Social control theory, coupled with Osborn’s research, leads us to conclude that while television provides a broad overview of the dominant wedding culture, people deviate even from these prescribed norms and form subcultures based on other characteristics such as their wealth, ethnicity, and family traditions. The budget for the weddings has continued to increase substantially in recent decades and