What is the form and function of marriage in Western society?

Question

What is the form and function of marriage in Western society?

Answer 1

Man and woman marry and have children, man provides, woman nurture... or now a days, vice versa or a bit of both.

Answer 2

The function of marriage is for couples to provide emotional support for each other and thus stabilizing society by ensuring 'conflict' does not occur.

Another function of marriage is to ensure the continuity of our society through reproducing the next generation.

Answer 3

Some people dedicate their whole careers to studying this one subject.  What I'm trying to say is that there is no "one" form or function of marriage in Western society.  Their are traditional forms, and their are forms that have evolved into something else.