Saturday, December 9, 2017

A Woman’s Worth: Addressing the Difference Between Bride Wealth and Dowry



Kinship is the way that any society organizes group membership through descent and marriage.  Kinship is an important area of study for anthropologists because it helps define large scale societies and is one of the foundations that directs and guides interactions among individuals.  Case in point, you act differently among individuals who are considered family vs. those who are not considered family.  Typically, one will do more for family versus someone who is not family, so kinship is incredibly important to social interactions.  It is these differences in behavior that anthropologists focus on, and this is an area of discussion in today’s blog post, which will specifically address how people who are not related by blood become kin.  Yep, we are going to discuss marriage arrangements as they affect and place women within society by exploring bride wealth and dowry.

Marriages are key to society and culture as it solidifies specific types of social relations among individuals who are not already considered kin by blood of any cultural group.  Marriages vary by culture.  In our American culture individuals have a lot of say and freedom in choosing their spouse, but this is not the norm in every culture.  In many cultures marriages involve a great deal of political and social negotiations, particularly in regards to the value of women in a particular culture.  Depending on whether a woman and her work is considered worthwhile or a burden one of two means of securing a marriage for the woman will be used.  These means are bride wealth (aka bride price) or dowry, which represent opposing representations of women and differing negotiations in marriage contracts.

Figure 1:The Zulu of Africa are a culture that practices bride wealth.  This picture shows one of those negotiations in action.

Bride wealth (aka bride price) involves the payment of goods or money paid by the groom to the bride’s family in exchange for the bride and her work (Figure 1).  This is done because the bride/woman is seen as an asset and her loss to her family must therefore be compensated.  Also, it is not just the bride/woman who is valued in this sort of exchange.  Her future children are also paid for through what is known as a child price, which is compensation paid to the bride’s/woman’s family to ensure her children belong to the husband and his family.  This ensures that the husband, particularly in the event of a separation or dissolution of the marriage, will also take care of his children (regardless of if they are biologically or not because the contract supersedes that).  

What exactly is a bride/woman worth?  Well, that ultimately depends on several factors, including her age, her previous relationship status (e.g. unmarried versus widowed), potentially her work output and skill sets, and her social status within the community (typically related to her entire family).  These factors are important as they continue to facilitate social relations within the culture that currently exist (meaning there is less likelihood of a “Cinderella” story occurring, meaning a poor man marrying a rich woman, although that can happen in some cultures).  Men who are interested in taking a bride must make their intentions known to the potential bride’s family, who then consult the bride on whether or not she believes he’s a good match for her.  If she agrees then the negotiations begin.  The goods and/or money that is paid is typically culturally dictated, and these can include food, livestock, goods, labor (by the future son-in-law), land, etc.  The negotiations are typically peaceful and not grandiose, meaning a man is not going to go broke trying to pay for his bride.  

Figure 2: Citizens of India continue to practice the dowry despite it being illegal.  Pictured here is a dowry negotiation in action.
  
The dowry, on the other hand, is a large payment (monetary or goods) provided to the groom’s family to ensure the bride’s safety and inclusion within her new family unit (Figure 2).  This is done because women are seen as a burden within any family unit, and therefore a marriage is a contractual obligation where one family is taking on a loss (through the bride) from another family.  Dowry and marriage negotiations can be very contentious and often continue even after the marriage since the woman is considered a burden.  Due to this risk many young girls are taken out of school early (if they are allowed to attend at all) and begin working so they can collect a sizeable dowry to ensure a favorable marriage into a family that will not abuse her.  Where dowry systems exist women typically do not have much choice in who they marry, and they will typically marry whomever will accept their dowry, meaning men have massive amount of power within these societies. 

Dowries are common throughout India despite being made illegal in the 1960s.  In part because of the illegal nature of the dowry system and the cultural values placed on dowries there are several different types of dowry abuses.  Groom’s families who abuse their potential brides or the brides out of rejection of a dowry or to get a larger dowry, and/or the bride’s family have taken to killing the bride to avoid payment of dowries that they cannot afford to pay. 

Kinship is a key element of social relations within any society, and marriage is one of those means of creating new social relations.  Marriage is also crucial to the construction of gender values within any society, particularly for the woman.  This blog post addressed the contractual negotiations that directly affect women in marriage.  Bride wealth (aka bride price) is used when a woman is valued, whereas the dowry is used when women are devalued.  Both further perpetuates social status and gender ideals within the society, further demonstrating the power of family within culture.


Works Cited
Gezon, L., & Kottak, C. (2014).  Cultural Anthropology McGraw-Hill.
Welsch, R.L. & L.A. Vivanco.  (2015).  Cultural Anthropology: Asking Questions About Humanity.  Oxford University Press.






24 comments:

Nicole said...

I have to admit, as a divorcee of a pretty degrading relationship, this was a hard read. I struggled to take the open-minded approach to these cultural constructs but it did make me curious.
Did the tradition of 3 months salary engagement rings and the brides family paying for the wedding stem from the practice of bridewealth and bride dowery?
B.Nicole Clements Ant.411

Dr. Christine Elisabeth Boston said...

Nicole, I can understand your apprehension to such practices, but keep in mind that bride price/bride wealth actually ensures the safety and happiness of the bride since it's a contract that is continually renegotiated on behalf of the bride. Dowry, however, is not, which is why there is such a push to abolish it, and it is actually illegal in India, although the practice continues despite that.

Regarding your questions, the three months salary for an engagement ring is actually a marketing ploy by jewelry companies. The bride's family paying for the wedding could be considered a type of dowry, except that it is not. It actually came about because traditionally the bride's family would pay for the wedding, and the groom's family paid for a lavish (and very long!) honeymoon. The two practices were both family's contribution to the start of the newly wed's path into marriage.

Unknown said...

My friend is Nigerian and explained this to me a couple years ago. I thought a bride price was basically the groom buying the bride from her family but its more than that its apart of the culture in the modern day and age and just seen as tradition.

Unknown said...

I really don't like this blog . Just because why would anyone doe this to they child ? Basically you are just selling your kid to the richest person probably not even taking the women feelings into consideration . Also what happened to loving someone for who they are and not just what they have . One last thing is why do you have to make an payment to ensure that the bride is safe because to me that sounds like human trafficking . I really happy they don't do this in America cause my family would hate me because I would ran away and not come back .
-T'Liyah Townsend

Anonymous said...

Interesting blog, but i really didn't get into it, it was kinda disturbing the way they do things especially the way they go about marriage.
Micah Seals

Anonymous said...

I have heard more about dowries than the other arranged marriages, but to have more information on arranged marriages as a whole is informal. It is saddening what happens in other cultures and how women are looked down upon compared to men, knowing that women give life to new human beings. I respect those who seek a better life for their family and try to move away or change the norms that their community has set place even with the consequences they could face.

Anonymous said...

The way they go about marriage was kind of degrading, this was an interesting post but unsettling at the same time. America's way and their way is totally different, I like our way better!
Anthony Townsend

Taylor Morris said...

I did not really like the way they go about marriage but everyone and every culture is different in the way they do things.

Anonymous said...

This blog in particular was interesting but I do not like how they go off on how to marry off the women. They are getting married of by what they have meaning how much money they have to offer I know it is different in their culture but why not marry them off to someone they actually have a connection they have with someone . - Mykia Chaney

jerkisha Ford said...

I could not believe what i was reading. To even think about how a woman could have no choice in the decision of marriage and going to school really hit a nerve. I believe family is your strongest asset but a family should also be a happy one no matter the kinship.

Anonymous said...

I thought this blog was pretty interesting considering how they started to talk about how the Zulu people went about marriage. After reading this it was not the kind of marriage i am use to seeing in my life from television to actually being apart of a marriage i found it very astonishing that the women are not married off of love to their spouse . But they are basically married of their own wealth so I question how would these women know they are getting married to the love of their lives or are they just being used for the time being . Everyone else’s culture is different and to teach your own there marriage practices are completely different compared to the Americans way of marriage. - Mykia Chaney

Unknown said...

I found this blog very interesting. All cultures are different but I did not like their way of marriage. I for sure don't agree with dowry, I believe women should always decide who they want to marry.

-Aide Gonzalez

Julian Anderson said...

This blog was dissatisfying to know that women in any society can be looked down upon in any type of fashion. This blog post was also interesting because it showed that families looked at their daughters as worthless burdens and that they would be giving this burden to a rich man who would have to take her in marriage. I believe that all men and women are equal and have always been equal and that a women should only be with some she loves. With no choice in whom she marries will cause a rift in the relationship.

apreshana page said...

within the society that we live in today, I don't believe that marriages are key to society anymore. Marriage used to be such a big deal back in the day but now people use it for the wrong reasons like more money or to collect wealth in the end.

apreshana page

Justin Adams said...

Reading this article, kind of upset me a little bit. There is never a price that you can out on any person, let alone a women and her children. It was interesting to find out that the groom-to-be keeps the kids if the couple splits up instead of the mother. Here in America the custody of children usually goes to the mother before the father unless the mother is seen as unfit.

Jasmine Busby said...

All the other articles got me excited but this one....this is one of the articles that can't get on my good side. The whole marriage deal is not right. How could they think the daughters were so worthless? Its kind of messed up....very informative but messed up.Just my honest opinion.

Monay P said...

Reading this article taught me something new about their culture. However I don't agree with their practices. Considering the fact that each culture is different, you just have to be open minded to the away other people live.

Unknown said...

A lot of the information in this blog shocked me. Other cultures basing a woman’s worth off of her age, previous relationships, etc. is something that I cannot wrap my head around. I do find the study of others cultures and behaviors fascinating, but it is upsetting that people will put a price tag or value on a person and that is what dictates whether they are marital material or not.

Kahla Perry

Dr. Christine Elisabeth Boston said...

Kahla, if you think about it these notions exist in our culture. As women get older they are less desirable-be it for relationships or work. Additionally as Americans we do (generally) place emphasis on the number of previous sexual partners a woman has had. Too many typically results in her being labelled a slut, whereas men are celebrated.

When you study different cultures you can see the differwnces, but it is also important to take that same gaze and place it back on one's own culture to realize how there may be fewer differences than one initially realized.

Tonii Saffore said...

My name is Tonii Saffore. I enjoyed reading this post because it addressed a question that I always wondered about which is the difference between a dowry and the wealth of the bride. The first time I heard of a dowry is a couple of years ago when my cousin, who is Muslim, married her husband. she told me that he had to pay her for marrying him. I even remember hearing her discuss about how much he should give her. I never understood this until now. Great post!

Unknown said...

interesting post. I've always known for cultures like this to marry off their children at a young age , but I only thought it was in movies for instance in the movie "The Color Purple". I don't think its okay to marry your child off just for money. Not enough money in the world that would ever make me want to marry my child off, I have to think about their happiness. money doesn't last that long I would have to do a lot of self reflecting.

-Tae'lor Pearson

Taylor Morris said...

This is so interesting and I can relate to it. My partner is African and he informed me about the bride wealth and kinship. It was something new to me because I had never heard of bride wealth before.

Anonymous said...

I thought that marrying your child off only happened in movies, but i guess not. I dont like the idea of it at all, even though its something that they are use to. i dont like it, i dont feel like parents should be comfortable marrying off their kids. there would never be any amount of money that would make me marry off my kids.

-Kyla Thomas

Anonymous said...

This passage taught me about the idea of a bride's wealth and dowry in relation to marriage negotiations. Understanding the cultural and social relevance of these rituals in other civilizations, as well as how they affect gender roles and power relations within families, interest me.-Brooklyn Blair