The School of Thinking and Feeling
The Class of Love
2010-11
For the semester, partner with someone you do not know, take steps of a partnership, write letters, get to know someone, go out (chaperoned for first three dates), (physical connection is not a requirement). Write about he process, keep a journal, critically analyze positive and negative aspects, research societies where this is common and why and come to conclusions.
Arranged Marriage
10-11-04
Arranged Marriages
Head of Class
Johanna Gunther
Resident of Love
Interns of Love
Simon
Feyzan
Linda
Egor
Theodora
Leonie
Judith
Matthias
Andrea
Erika
Michael
Corinna
Lisa-Christin
Madlen
Astrid
Severin
Ann-Kathrin
Jasmin
Janick
Sven
Pia
Jelena
Philipp
Lea
Torsten
Sonja
Sharing Love...
Research Project: Arranged to Wed - Thea & Torsten
1) Ask question
The question we want to ask us is: “Real” love possible in an arranged marriage? We will analyze if love can possibly exist in an arranged marriage.
2) Background research
In order to understand what an arranged marriage is and why it exists, we will need to gather information/opinions about this topic, how the persons concerned feel about it etc.
Therefore we won’t only use our own conclusion of our experiment, but rather analyzing how the people in “real” arranged marriages might feel.
We will search in blogs, perhaps there is somebody who is in such a situation and writes his/her experiences about it. However news articles could also give a great overlook over arranged marriage cases, why they are necessary or not, why they exist etc.
3) Construct hypothesis
The hypothesis of our project states real love can be possible in an arranged marriage. (However “real love” could develop in such a marriage; love is already there when they marry, as they fall in love by first sight, or they are educated to “love” their partner immediately. A different reason could be that the participants develop a kind of a “Stockholm-Syndrome”, they are in the same situation and therefore they feel love for each other.)
4) Test with equipment
Besides the collection of information about “real arranged marriages”, we want to test how an arranged marriage “feels”. Therefore we will meet a few times and trying to feel how it is being in such a forced relationship. Another aim is to get to know each other and imagining how it could be to live with this person for the rest of your life, as somebody told you to do so.
5) Analyze result/conclusion
The conclusion will be built on our experiment’s experiences and the information of “real“ arranged marriages. We will analyze arguments for and against if love can be possible in an arranged marriage, and if there are different kinds of “love” that could have led to such a forces relationship (Parental love, love to a different sex, love to a lover…).
6) Hypotheses true/false why..
Through our conclusion, we will be able to falsify or validate our hypothesis and justify why.
7) Report results
We want the audience really to feel and see what we have been experienced. Therefore we want to read vows or a marriage contract to emphasize that the persons concerned can’t chose this partner and are forced to marry him/her.
A further way of presenting, is performing a sketch, how a usual day could look like in such a marriage.