Why We Have Expensive Weddings
Examining the culture behind elaborate weddings through the sociological theories: functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism.
Weddings — we (usually) love them.
It’s a time to celebrate love and to have a great time. I mean what’s not to love about them?
Well, there’s the gigantic cost that is usually associated with them. But why is this? It’s certainly possible to have a small-scale wedding that is relatively inexpensive but nonetheless a fun wedding.
But society has shaped its own view about weddings. Much like other things, expensive = good.
So let’s talk about this by exploring the different sociological theories.
— Structural Functionalism
This theory is defined as a “paradigm based on the assumption that society is a unified whole that functions because of the contributions of its separate structures.”
Functionalism references the many structures that are present within our society, and which are dependent on one another. The same can be said about the wedding industry. In order for the structure of the wedding industry to properly function, couples must be willing to organize a wedding and further must be willing to spend large amounts of money.
