Americans believe that who you marry should be an individual choice, and that parents cannot pick spouses for their children. In many cultures, where kinship matters much more than in America, parents are expected to arrange marriages for their children because those new parents will be future of the kin group. Think about what a parent who had to pick a spouse for their child would want to know about potential spouses. Also think about what other parents considering spouses for their children would want to know about you and your child. Write a paragraph explaining what you think might be at least 3 of the important characteristics that those (your own parents) considering a potential spouse for you would be.

Lifestyle of the family of a Potential Spouse: They would want to know how the family I would be marrying into are. Are they serious minded folks? Do they have a history with crime? Are they naturals when it comes to striving for what they seek or people that are laid back and blame everything on the government? Genetics is a funny but correct thing that says it all, if the parents of the intended spouse are laid back, there is a great chance it would be passed onto their daughter or one of the grand kids in future and as a parent, no one would want that.

Health History: This has got to be a major characteristics to look into. My parents would want to know if the family has a genetic disease that has been passed on from generation to generation as it is so in a lot of families. This way, one would be fully aware of what we are to deal with and if it is something we are willing to deal with as a family.

Materialistic: My parents would want to know, why does she want to marry you? Is it because of your future inheritance? your money? would she be willing to shack up with you in the projects should things really become hard for you later in life? These are valid questions that must be critically assessed so one is sure she would be around not just for the better, but also for worse.