Dowry murders have become a major problem in India’s society today. The physical violence on a bride and financial strain and stress on the family of the bride is outrageous. Everyday Dowry death cases all over India are reported. Dowry murders were banned in 1961 but the ban was never enforced. The number of dowry deaths is still rising today because the law against dowry is not enforced. Dowry is still happening in most Indian families. In India people like to stick to traditions even if it is illegal. The tradition of dowry murders has been carried on for decades. In India’s society today, Indian women are becoming more independent and India’s older generation and men do not like the fact that women of India are gaining more rights and more freedom.
Dowry is a tradition that runs throughout all of Indian society. Dowry is a tradition that the groom and his relatives demand cash, jewelry and other luxuries from the bride’s family. Upon marriage, the daughter is given household appliances for dowry such as furniture, TV’s, refrigerators and even clothing, cash and jewelry. It was given to show love and affection from the bride’s family and to ensure a joyful and happy life after they are married. The rich viewed dowry as a status symbol, but for the poor it is a sense of honor. Some people would say dowry is a curse for Indian society and disrespect for women in this situation. This tradition is a burden on the bride’s family but the groom and his family get to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The value of the dowry depends on the job the groom has at the time “ranging from 250,000 yen to 5 million yen or more in a country where a basic graduates salary starts from 6,250 yen” ( Women In India).When there is an arranged marria...
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...g women are coming out of sheltered existence…” (Escalating Violence). Slowly but surely women are branching out and becoming more powerful every day. Tradition is slowly fading away as the older generation dies out and the younger generation brings in the new.
The people of India like to stick to tradition even if that tradition is illegal and cruel to the women of India. In modern India it is common for young women to die from a dowry death. But Indian women are also becoming more independent today. They are going to college to further their education and moving around freely with men in and getting jobs like normal people. The older generation and some men in India’s society today do not like this. They do not like the fact that women are coming out of there sheltered lives and becoming more free to do as they please and carry on lives as normal people.
The head of the household has the authority to arrange marriage contracts for the members of his household (Barth-1961). Before the wedding, the groom’s family must pay a milk price which is written in contract by a non-tribal ritual specialist known as a mullah (Barth-1961). The milk price is the payment for the girl and the domesticated equipment she expected to bring along with her, along with the milk price the grooms expectations are to provide his girl with gifts at all calendrical events, the performing of various bride services and minor favors to his parents-in-laws (Barth-1961). After all transactions are cleared, the newly married couple will start their own
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
Growing up in a traditional Punjabi family with both of my parents being born and raised in India has been an experience that I can only fully comprehend now at the age of twenty-three. Realizing how backward our culture is when it comes to women’s equality among family and society is an astonishing thought. Even though there is more gender equality here in America than in India within our households the women are still subjected to live and serve the men of the house. This custom has become almost an unconscious thought, to think of Punjabi women living in a traditional family more than a maid or babysitter would be blasphemous and heretical talk.
Gender-based violence is made possible by the ideology of sexism in Indian traditional culture which argues that women are worth less than men in the sense of having less power, status, privilege, and access to resources that is more prevalent in middle class and low caste families.
The social normality of the world is that men are required to be strong, determined and career driven, but for women, they ought to be weak, acquiescent to their male counterpart, and domestic. As of late, women have been acting against this stereotype. Rather than being complacent, women are beginning to stand in solidarity and dismantle the patriarchy that reigns over the nation. With this new-found empowerment for women, countless obstacles in the form of other social groups, particularly men, face them, working against women from allowing true equality to be achieved. Women in literature and media are beginning to be portrayed as women in power, something that was a rarity to previous generations. Contrary to traditional feminine gender
“Arranging a Marriage in India” by Serena Nanda is a well written, informative article aimed at sharing the view of the Indian culture on arranged marriages and also showing how much effort is put into the process of arranging a marriage. Our own culture has evolved into accepting the fact that we are all independent individuals who could not imagine having someone else make such a significant decision for us. Serena Nanda does an excellent job of using her sources within the society as evidence of the acceptance of the arranged marriage aspect of their culture.
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...
In modern day India, women are held to a higher standard. Yes, woman typically are supposed to cook for the family and basically keep everyone in check; but in India the
As women, those of us who identify as feminists have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at what cost do these advances come with?... ... middle of paper ... ... Retrieved April 12, 2014, from http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/whatisfem.htm Bidgood, J. 2014, April 8 -.
After marriage, more of these values are expected to be carried on is the way the family decisions are made and the ways things are done. The male is known as the authority figure in the family. An Indian woman has to abide be what the men say and basically allow him to run the show. This does not say that he has no responsibilities, because that is wrong be all means. He has a responsibility to support the family and show the children how to work the fields and support the family.
Social movements, feminist and women questioned forms of social organization and made complaints of the consequences that are generated by the inequality between men and women, pointing out the demands of public policies to prevent and combat violence (AQUINO, 2009).
The role women play in today’s society is a drastic change from the previous role. Women used to be confined to the superiority of the man. Physically, mentally, and emotionally abused, belittled, embarrassed, and silenced. These are just a few examples of the emotion from the isolated treatment of the past. A woman’s role in today’s society is more valued than ever before.
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.
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.
Female foeticide has become a disgraceful and shocking reality of this nation. For centuries, families across many parts of India have look upon the male child as the superlative of the two sexes. A male child is seen as a blessing in the Indian society and since years people have made lavish offerings and numerous prayers in hopes for getting a son. These beliefs continue to remain even though times have changed and now much of the inequality is reducing. The Indian society recognizes a insightful faith in every individual’s right to life and dignity but this rights are dishonored when it comes to women and children in this society. A difference in a society’s ideal values and its reality is defined as a social