DOWRY PRACTICES

The impact of class background on South Asian marriages: A study of dowry practices

by

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my thanks to my advisor, for his suggestions, comments, patience and understanding. Very special thanks to my parents, my father, my mother, my brother and my sister who were continuously supporting me throughout my life and leaving me free in all my decisions. I would also like to thank my colleagues for his technical support whenever I needed. I would like to thank to Department, all the university managers, teachers and students with whom I have worked.

I certify that the work presented in the dissertation is my own unless referenced

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DECLARATION

I declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. I further declare that this work has not previously been presented in whole or part, for any other award, or published in whole or in part elsewhere, including this university. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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ABSTRACT

The practice of dowry in the context of class background has received relatively little attention in UK. This paper examines the experiences of South Asian women of different class backgrounds in Birmingham, attitudes of Sparkhill women towards receiving or giving dowries and the role of dowry in class mobility and maintenances among three religions, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. This study uses qualitative method approach to investigate the attitudes and experiences of women who belong to different class and religious backgrounds. With the use of grounded theory, the research concludes that individual's perception of dowry and class influence their attitude towards the continuity of dowry practices. There is also evidence that women have different experiences according to their family background, education, social class, cultural background and religion. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of class background on South Asian marriages with special emphasis on the dowry practices.

Table of Contents

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION7

Background of the study7

Problem Statement8

Research Aims and Objectives8

Rationale of Research9

Structure of the thesis10

Chapter I:Introduction10

Chapter II:Literature Review10

Chapter III:Methodology10

Chapter IV:Data analysis and Discussion10

Chapter V:Conclusion10

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW11

Religion and dowry12

Social class12

Theorising dowry13

Dowry and abuse15

Dowry and social class and status17

Research on Dowry in UK19

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY21

Research Approach21

Research Questions22

Research Methodology22

Research Design24

Data Collection Method24

Sampling process25

Research Ethics26

Data collection Process26

Data analysis27

Data analysis Process29

Open coding29

Axial coding30

Selective coding31

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS32

Dowry in Practice32

Continuity in dowry practice35

Is Dowry a Burden?37

Dowry as demand38

Dowry: Pride or Shame43

Is dowry payment perceived as class shift and maintenance?48

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION54

Recommendations56

REFERENCES57

APPENDIX61

Appendix A: Research Ethics Review for Research Project.61

Appendix B: Participant Information sheet62

Appendix C: Consent form63

Appendix D: Interview Guide64

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Dowry is a custom and a tradition practiced in marriages which has received little attention in the UK. Dowry has various definitions among participants. It is also defined in different ways by different researchers. Dowry consists of a number of goods including cash used for household purposes. It is given to the bride or the couple by the girl's family ...