Question

In contemporary u.s. weddings, one common ritual is the act of the father "giving away" the bride. how does this tend to perpetuate a power dynamic that places women at a disadvantage?

Answer 1

This perpetuates a dynamic in which the father has possession of his daughter and she is his to give away. At which this point she becomes a possession of the groom. The bride is exchanged like property as part of this common ritual, as if the men have the power to give and receive her.