Why is child marriage unknown in western culture?

News reports and the ensuing political discourse constructed Romani child marriage as a byproduct and defining characteristic of a homogenous and backward Gypsy culture, which was contrasted against progressive Western/white culture. read more

Child marriage isn’t unknown in western culture, it’s just looked down upon. A lot. Committing a child to an adult for sexual purposes, especially for their entire life, is not looked well upon in the west because of the lack of rights given to the child. read more

In Marriage (2008), the late Emory University historian Elizabeth Fox-Genovese explains that marriage has enjoyed a privileged status within Western civilization as the primary social unit of civil society—the essential bond that created a bridge between the sexes. read more