AHC Arranged marriage normal in Western Europe and North Americ

WI POD after 1500 have a sitaution where arramged marriage is as common in 'The West' as it is in South Asia.

Bonus points if tech is at least equal to OTL and women's status as least as good as in otl
 
I have no idea where to find the numbers for a comparison, so I am
not certain when arranged marriages stopped being the usual thing
in Europe (outside the aristocracy). It obviously has, but there are
(admittedly fictional and with dubious research) stories from as recently
as the late seventies about how People From Other Parts Of Europe That
Aren't As Modern And Rational As Us still do it and doesn't think it unusual.
(Reason 234 why works from romance comics should not be used as a
source of information. :rolleyes:)

I do however, vaguely, recall the claim that "marriage is a matter between
two people who love each other (and blessed by the church)" was a view
and position supported by the Christian church at some early point in the
Middle Ages, as it increased the church's influence.
The opposing view was something like "marriage is a contract between
two families and neither love nor religion has any relevance for the
process".
But that would obviously be before 1500.
 
WI POD after 1500 have a sitaution where arramged marriage is as common in 'The West' as it is in South Asia.

Bonus points if tech is at least equal to OTL and women's status as least as good as in otl

There are places firmly in the West where it is quite normal, though the very people involved would probably deny they are arranging anything.
However, I hardly see a situation where it is officially accepted as a social norm and the women's status is as good, or as bad, as in OTL West at the same time.
Formally arranged marriages tend to assume a generally weaker position of one sex, that is probably the female one.
Widespread arranged marriages imply a situation where the family group is far stronger than the individual, and assume also a strong economic relevance of marriage that has been fading in the last decades in the West. You'd need either a worse distribution of wealth, a different pattern of gender roles (less equality i suppose) or a very strong cultural pressure towards extended family solidarity. (note that, AFAIK, many arranged marriages in places like South Asia are between cousins of some degree).
 
Maybe it could be a trend adopted by the rising middle class in an attempt to imitate the aristocracy, and filter down from there?
 
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