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Essay for dowry system
Dowry system in india
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The ceremony of Marriage is different in many cultures across the world, for people have varied customs and traditional practices that go into the consummation of marriage. WE can argue that universally the primary reason one gets married is two spend the rest of eternity with their spouse, in love or by force marriage binds two people forever, sealing the act with a kiss of promise, To protect and be there with each other. Yet tragically, in some cases marriage is nothing more than a avarice way to gain power and materialistic value. In the Asian the country of India, a horrific act of torture has taken place for as long as 2,500 years. The act has been termed bride burning. Bride-burning is the practice of drenching a new bride with kerosene and setting her afire ultimately to die.. It is considered the most common form of dowry deaths.12 It is also known as a bride’s suicide, or a bride’s murder at the remorseless hands of her husband and as well as/or her in-laws promptly after getting marriage. Reasons for the act are primarily associated with the wife’s husband, and his family’s dissatisfaction with the amount of the dowry the wife was unable to provide her husband. This torotus act of dominance has killed countless brides in India leaving women, vulnerable to the volatile acts of their husbands. Typically in scoietys in india meen are seen as the strength of the housshold, they are viewed as superior beings, while women are merely there complementary prize enhancing their staus and place in society. Bride burning became a regonized health problem in India around the mid 1990s when investigation abroad reported that dowry deaths in India increasing astoundingly from around 400 a year in the early 1980s to around 5,800 a ...
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...adder, achieve economic security, accumulate material wealth.” Due to the avarice of consumer greed, the custom of dowry has disseminated to communities and social classes that normally do not engage in those practices. Furthermore, the nature of consumer greed facilitates the need to demand more dowry since dowry is representative of the social and economic status of both families and the extent to which their family co-exists in India’s caste system. Unfortunately, because of patriarchal attitudes, the bridegroom and his family have greater bargaining power and are typically the ones who set the dowry rates. In addition, the economic model used to calculate the dowry takes into account the bridegroom’s education and future earning potential while the bride’s education and earning potential are only relevant to her societal role of being a better wife and mother.
Wealth and family status was a determining factor upon marriage. Women were expected to have a dowry from their family that would allow them to be auctioned off to suitors. The marriage market was much like the stock exchange in that it allowed
The wife 's desires for a girl also can be unselfish in their eyes by saying they are protecting them from a life of poverty since they had not yet had a son who could provide their prosperity. “Dowry deaths” are also an age old tradition that is a custom for the religion. But with the heavy problem of gendercide, the government outlawed the use of a dowry. But since tradition is so heavy and rich it still happens. The families want to live up to expectations and even if it is not “required” it still looks good for a family to compensate the other in a social standing. The problem with this is that they still see females as burdens even though there is no requirement to provide a dowry. It is the age-old tradition to give a dowry that is hurting the females. The old ways need to be adapted, and the culture itself needs to understand that it is okay not to provide a dowry. This is the only way change for females can come and ensure them a success and longevity in their
The first difference between American culture and Indian culture is marriage. A wedding is a great social event in our society, which establish a new bond between two individuals and families. Marriage is a joyful occasion with plenty of music, dance, partying and merrymaking. It also brings together a long-lost friends, relatives and acquaintances. In India, the parents choose the mate for their child, which is called an arranged marriage. In most cases, the bri...
Sati is defined as “a Hindu practice whereby a widow immolates herself on the pyre of her husband” (Dictonary.com). Sati also means righteous, women throughout the Hindu myths were willing to do anything for the man that they loved. This symbolized the perfect Indian wife to any man. Imagine being a married couple in the Hindu religion, as the wife you have to prove yourself to your husband. According to About.com it goes into brief detail of the idea of marriage in the Hindu religion; “after marriage the Hindu women lead the men by keeping the lustful propensities under control. While married, thought of any other man does not enter the mind of a Hindu lady until she loses her faith in her husband due to his consistent misbehavior and 'don't care' attitude” (Rajhans). Basically in this commitment women must keep the male under control and keep the loving relationship alive and well. Suddenly, during your marriage your husband suddenly dies and you are now left as a widow. How would you feel? Would you mope around and have sorrow for the months to come? Or would you go to the extent of suicide to be with your husband once again. Some say sati is a voluntary act chosen by the newly widowed woman to end her life by being burnt to death at her husband’s pyre. But there are moments in history that Sati was forced upon these women, some ever were dragged to their burning death (Daniel). “The custom of burning the widow on her dead husband's pyre probably did not evolve from religious background but from social background” (Daniels). This paper will explore the horrible act of Sati and how it was practiced throughout history.
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast between various wedding customs that are prevalent in different continents of the world. The essay sheds light on culturally diverse traditions that originate in different parts of the world. It is the wide variety or cultural conventions that give each nation or tribe a unique identity. Every culture has ...
Originally, after choosing my topic, I had planned on focusing on the traditions of Muslim marriage-- however, the more I researched the more corruption was unveiled within the sacrament. I don’t know about you all, but I find controversial things far more interesting. I would like to preface my speech by saying although many of the practices I am going to speak about are widely accepted throughout the Middle East—however, this does not make them justifiable. Like all controversial topics, there are two sides to this argument. Arranged marriages, child marriage, and polygamy are practices passed off as “traditions,” but it is my goal to shed some light on the topic. It is not uncommon for couples to marry based off caste and wealth rather than
This demonstrates just how objectified women are. This idea can also be seen in the idea of a dowry needed in order to marry a women. At first look this may seem like a compliment, but if it is analyzed a little deeper it can be noted that this is like buying property. This further shows the idea that women are treated as objects and shows that women were mistreated and men do not value them. In Linda Strong-leaks article, Role of Women in Things Fall Apart, she claims that women are viewed mainly as “child bearers and help mates for their husbands.”
The importance of virginity varies from culture to culture. In Islamic cultures, a young woman is strictly forbidden from losing her virginity before marriage. A non-virgin is thought to bring shame onto herself, and her family. In fact, the family of a young female who engages in premarital sex can be severely punished or even killed. (Kalyani) In oriental societies, sex is barred before marriage; this asserts sexual control over the females. Not only is strongly encouraging women to abstain from sex before marriage used as a sexual control, virginity is also considered a business asset. Virgin brides are worth more in the marriage market (Schlegel), as apposed to someone with sexual practice; this leads to some families using their daughter’s virginity as a bargaining chip to climb the social ladder. By controlling a female’s virginity, the family controls the marriage choice. In present-day China, a woman’s virginity has a high significance in the society. The loss of a women’s virginity brings no spiritual guilt, but it does dish...
Wedding are such beautiful and unforgettable ceremonies where two bind their love forever. Different cultures have different traditional way of celebrating tying the knot, depending on their religion. Last summer I had the opportunity to take part of a Sikh wedding which was so new and beautiful to me. Sikhism emerged in city of Punjab, India, and it is known to be a religion that separates itself from Islam and Hinduism. For the purpose of this paper I will explain some ceremonies I observed as well as the visit to the Gurdwara, the Sikh temple.
Nanda, S. (1998). Arranging a Marriage in India. In P. DeVita (Ed.), Stumbling toward truth: Anthropologists at work (pp. 196-204). Illinois, U.S: Waveland Press.
During the Mesopotamia period, the first ever recorded marriage contract and ceremony dates to 4000 years ago. Woman had no rights in their marriage, even the lower class had no say in marriage, and therefore wives could not divorce unless the husband asked for it. Husbands were allowed to divorce their wife if she didn’t fulfill her duties (give birth to children.) During the Mesopotamia period, marriage was not because the two people loved each other, but because of preserving power, fathers’ of ruling class would even marry off their daughters. By doing this, it allowed the families to form alliances, acquire land, and produce legitimate heirs. Future husband, and bride-to-be’s father agreed on a contract that was a price for the maiden’s hand. If the marriage did not go well, and they divorced the father-in-law was entitled to satisfaction. The contract they made, had said, that if a child was not born, the husband got...
The four main causes of child marriage are poverty, limited education and economic opportunities relating to jobs for women, insecurity in the face of conflict, and traditional and religious practices. The little girls are sources of income for their families when the bride price is of...
Almost every culture around the world have the idea of bringing together households in marriage. In the United States, this a coupling of two people who will start a life on their own. In India, a marriage is more than two people falling and love and getting married. Family, religion and casts play a role for the future bride and groom. The Indian culture’s weddings have different traditions when it comes to proposals, ring traditions and ceremonies not only for the couple but for the families as well.
Amanda Hitchcock. 2001. “Rising Number of Dowry Deaths in India.” Annual Editions: Anthropology 11/12, 34th Edition. Elvio Angeloni. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Arranging a marriage for a young girl is a simple way for the family to collect dowry money. For families living in poverty this is something they looked forward to since the birth of their daughter. Furthermore, having one less mouth to feed makes supporting the remaining children less demanding on the parents. In addition to financial reasons for the practice, in times of war an arranged marriage is a way to ensure that the child bride remains safe and out of harms way. An important aspect of most religions is purity. “The very idea that young women have a right to select their own partners—that