The Universal and Early Marriage Concept of Russian Peasants in the 19th Century and Its Transformation
One of the main reasons why the marriage pattern in modern Russia was very different from that in Western Europe is that Russian peasants had formed the concept of"must marry"and"marry as early as possible".On the one hand,the urgent demand of peasant families for female labor,the core position of family in peasants'material and spiritual life,and the role of marriage in guaranteeing people's social status required that both male and female peasants must marry.On the other hand,the principle of paternalism gave parents control over their children's marriage,and parents forced their children to marry as early as possible for the sake of family interests.The commune land redistribution system made it easier for peasants who married earlier to benefit economically.The moral public opinion in the family and village commune had formed a social atmosphere in which not marrying was unfortunate and late marriage was humiliating.The abolition of serfdom,the implementation of universal compulsory military service and the development of industry and commerce pushed up the marriage age of peasants and changed their concept of marriage to a certain extent.In a word,labor and economic factors determined peasants'marriage behaviors,in which family and commune played a crucial role.But until the end of the 19th century,pragmatic economic principles and rural customary law still dominated peasant marriages.
Russian PeasantsMarriage ConceptsUniversal and Early MarriageVillage Commune
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