Function And Change Of The Rites Of Marriage In Countryside

This study takes Rong village of Hubei Province as a case, and collects materials through the participated observation on case and in-dept interview on some members. On the basis of the rites of passage theory, with the view of rite and social change, this study generalizes the change processes of rural marriage rites after the foundation PRC, and analyzes the functions of traditional marriage rites and change of rural marriage rites. And based on the analysis of the weakness of the functions of marriage rites, village culture and rites changes, it tries to discuss the microcosmic change mechanism of the marriage rites.The study shows that the marriage rites in countryside experienced the processes of tradition, severance, resurrection, variation. The marriage rites have five social functions as one of the rites of passages. They are: adult rites in village, transformation of social roles, formation of marriage legalization, establishment of social net and inheritance of social culture & strengthen of social order. After the analysis of changes of marriage rites in countryside, there are some changes followed, from tradition to variation, from the scared to entertainment, and from public to private. Its weakness of functions is the pro-condition of change of rites. And its direction is determined by change of village culture and social selection of the villagers.Further discussion focuses on the function of formation of social net after the change of marriage rites, which tend to transform to kinship strengthening, followed by the discussion of kinship and its balance of position. The trend of changes on relationship is from imbalance to balance. And the position is largely related to the economic investment from both sides to the new family. This is the tactic of keeping advantages over one side in the future relationship.