Marriage And Ethnographic Research

Words: 1716
Pages: 7
Open Document
Marriage transactions occur all over the world, and there are many varying opinions on whether they turn women into property or not. Though there are many cases of marriage transactions in which women can be seen as property, it is also imperative to recognise that within different cultures, women may see dowry, bridewealth and brideprice as a positive thing, and they may not believe that they are property in any sense. Western and European feminist critics have often been forerunners in the argument against transactions in marriage, though many anthropologists oppose their homogenous views.

To a large extent, we can argue that transactions in marriage do turn women into property. Amali Philips carried out ethnographic research in Kerala, …show more content…
Philips notes that when considering dowry amount, the level of education of a woman and her employability are not taken into consideration, rather her physical appearance is. Similarly, in Alexey Pamporov’s study of brideprice in Bulgaria, the amount of money received is determined by physical appearance and whether or not the bride is a virgin. Being a virgin ‘shows the moral principles of the maiden and her family’ (Pamporov, 2007, page 472), this quote amplifies the feminist theory that marriage transactions lead to women not being credited on their independence, and being seen as objects that can be judged like inanimate property. Furthermore, if property is defined as items belonging to someone, then one can see that within some marriage transactions, women are definitely seen as property. In Pamporov’s study, a father explains how brideprice is used to secure their daughters safety within the marriage, he says that a husband may ‘enjoy her for a month or two and kick her out later. We can, more or less, avoid this situation due to the money’ (Pamporov, 2007, page 473). In this scenario, the use of money is essential to ensure that the bride is not mistreated, this devalues her independence and thus the bride becomes akin to a piece of property which can be moved to and from …show more content…
However, they were still able to show agency in different manners. Philips shows ethnographic evidence of three women who use everyday forms of resistance to show agency and reject their transformation into property. The three women mentioned in the text rejected their dowry amounts, one claiming that ‘she would no longer wear that “shameful price-tag of Rs. 500 (which) I had worn in my mind for 25 years”’(Philips, 2003, page 254). By resisting these dowries or unequal compensation from their families, the women were able to make a stand against becoming property, though this is not a widespread phenomenon in Kerala, it still shows that marriage transactions need not turn women into
Show More

Related Documents: Marriage And Ethnographic Research

Native American Culture Essay

world-meal times, marriage customs, gender roles-are rarely universally practiced in the same way in other nations (Dayal 10/7). For this reason, researchers must be conscious of not judging cultural disparities and comparing foreign societies with what is…

Words 656 - Pages 3

Examples Of The Marketing Environment

Class # 2: Chapter 3 (The Marketing Environment) Chapter 4 (Marketing Research) Dr. Rebecca Reczek Autumn 2014 Today’s Agenda • Information on Extra Credit Studies – Sign-up online here: https://fisher-osu.sona-systems.com/ - Earn up to 10 points added to final grade! • Updates on MyMarketingLab • Lecture on Chapters 3 and 4 Chapter 3: The Marketing Environment Macroenvironment Social Social Factors Factors Microenviornment Consumer Consumer Demographics Demographics Product Product Distribution…

Words 1277 - Pages 6

Summary: Island Possessed

reflexively approach her positionality as a light-skinned, African American, woman, dancer, and student anthropologist trained at the University of Chicago. Dunham’s deep reflection on her position allowed her to recognize her power as it related to her research and collaborators in reporting the intimate experiences she observed in dance, culture, and…

Words 822 - Pages 4

Research Paper

Comparison of the Sciences SSC101 Research Assignment Module 7 Saint Leo University December 08, 2012 The three social sciences below are defined as according to the Merriam-Webster on line dictionary. www.merriam-webster.com Anthropology 1: the science of human beings; especially : the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture 2: theology dealing with the origin,…

Words 2578 - Pages 11

Study guide Essay

on fieldwork in which the anthropologist is immersed in the ongoing everyday activities in order to describe the social context, relationships and processes relevant to the topic she is studying. Laura Bohannan, Shakespeare in the Bush Her ethnographic work among the Tiv helps her realize that everyone, including the Western anthropologist, has culture. All of us approach the world through our cultural categories. The story of Hamlet as told by Shakespeare makes no sense to the Tiv in terms of…

Words 2827 - Pages 12

Cfs 201 Essay

1. Discuss the arguments presented in class for the pros and cons of same-sex marriage. Make sure that you discuss what research says about differences in child outcomes from same-sex and heterosexual relationships. ARGUMENTS FOR SAME SEX MARRIAGE: * Equal human rights * Provides stability for the children * Strengthens marriage ARGUMENTS AGAINST SAME SEX MARRIAGE * Redefinition of marriage, potential unknown consequences of transformation, a social institution * Natural…

Words 2012 - Pages 9

Love Marriages vs Arranged Marriages Essay

Amorous marriages and Arranged marriages coexist in our world because practices vary based on culture, customs, and region. Arranged marriages are those, in which the wife and the husband are matched up by someone else whether it is an elder of the family, a religious head, or a marriage service. They are very common in many parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In African nations such as Niger and Chad child marriages are extremely common, with the majority of deals being struck before the…

Words 2889 - Pages 12

Essay about pe development

emphasises the postponement of parenthood as key to poverty reduction, young people’s lack of appreciation for medical knowledge of contraceptives is most often credited for failed attempts to reduce teenage pregnancy. Based on a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted in Pelotas, Brazil, with young people over the course of 10 years, our study found that young women who became teenage parents did not lack medical knowledge but were, rather, highly medicalised. Not only were they intensely…

Words 8686 - Pages 35

The Dobe Ju/'Hoansi Essay

This is until a man by the name of Richard B. Lee came along and wrote an ethnography about the local systems of the Ju and completely changed how an outsider might view this rural tribe, along with being a fine example of proper long-term field research in social anthropology. This highly regarded book on the Ju /’hoansi is titled “The Dobe Ju /’hoansi.” Although Lee states in the…

Words 1243 - Pages 5

Anthropology: Culture and Corporate Descent Group Essay

academic anthropology - careers that involve the teaching of anthropology at colleges and universities. Academic anthropologists do research, but the objective is more for the contribution to general knowledge. acculturation - culture change resulting from contact between cultures. A process of external culture change. adaptation - patterns of behavior which enable a culture to cope with its surroundings. adjudication - mediation with the ultimate decision being made by an unbiased third party…

Words 6211 - Pages 25