IAHRW International Journal of Social Sciences Review

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Dowry as a Social Practice and its Psychological Impact


Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


In contemporary times, dowry practice, although considered illegal, continues to be a socially accepted and rational outcome of the current Indian marriage market. The custom is held responsible for several atrocities perpetrated against women including dowry-related violence, bride burning, wife murder and often making them vulnerable to neurotic disorders and emotional problems. Unfortunately, the prohibition acts and punishments in an attempt to stop dowry practice has been ineffective. Something more than legislation is required to overcome this social evil and accord woman their dignity in the marriage setup. This paper is an attempt to highlight the social impact and psychological distress that the families and especially the daughter has to go through due to dowry practice and discuss psychological ways victims use to cope with these issues.

Keywords

Dowry, Social Impact, Psychological Distress, Coping.
User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • Abedi, G., Darvari, S. H., Nadighara, A., & Rostami, F. (2014). The relationship between quality of life and marriage satisfaction in infertile couples using path analysis. Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 24(117), 184-193.

  • Babu, G.R., & Babu, B.V. (2011). Dowry deaths: A neglected public health issue in India. International Health, 3(1), 35-43.

  • Banerjee, P.R. (2014). Dowry in 21st-century India: The socio-cultural face of exploitation. Trauma, Violence and Abuse, 15(1), 34-40.

  • Barrett, B. J., & Pierre, M. S. (2011). Variations in women's help-seeking in response to intimate partner violence: Findings from a Canadian population-based study. Violence Against Women, 17(1), 47-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10778012103942 73

  • Bybee, D.I., & Sullivan, C.M. (2011). The process through which an advocacy intervention resulted in positive change for battered women over time. American Journal of Community Psychology, 30(1), 103-32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:101 4376202459

  • Caldwell, J. C., Reddy, P. H., & Caldwell, P. (1983). The causes of marriage change in South India. Population Studies, 37(3), 343-361.

  • Caplan, L. (1984). Bridegroom price in urban India: Class, caste, and "dowry evil" among Christians in Madras. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 19(2), 216-233.

  • Dhillon, A. (2018, July 18). 'Death by dowry' claim by bereaved Indian family | Amrit Dhillon. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/ jul/18/death-by-dowry-claim-by-bereaved-family-in-india.

  • Dunn, J. R., & Schweitzer, M. E. (2005). Feeling and believing: The influence of emotion on trust. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88(5), 736-748. DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.88.5.736

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003066X.56.3.218

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). Positive emotions broaden and build. In P. Devine and A. Plant (Eds.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 47, pp. 1-54). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

  • Graneheim, U. H., & Lundman, B. (2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: Concepts, procedures, and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today, 24(2), 105-112.

  • Jean, D., & Sen, A. (1995). India: Economic development and social opportunity. Delhi Oxford University Press.

  • Krishnamurthy, S. (1981). The dowry problem: A legal and social perspective. Bangalore: India Book House Prakashana.

  • Kumari, R. (1989). Brides are not for burning: Dowry victims in India. New Delhi, India: Radiant Publishers.

  • Lakshmi, C.S. (1989). On kidneys and dowry. Economic and Political Weekly, 24, Issue 4.

  • Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress appraisal and coping. New York, NY: Springer.

  • Miller, B. (1981). The endangered sex: Neglect of female children in rural North India. Ithaca: Cornell University Press

  • Naik, R. D. (1996). A study of dowry practices. Pune: Dastane-Ramachandra and Co. Press Trust of India (2018, November 27). Dowry deaths make significant share of female killings in India: Report. Retrieved from http://www.ndtv.com/indianews/dowry-deaths-make-significant-share-of-female-killings-in-india-report-1954056

  • Rao, V. (1993). The rising price of husbands: A hedonic analysis of dowry increases in rural India. Journal of Political Economy, 101, 666-677.

  • Rosen, S. (1974). Hedonic prices and implicit markets: Product differentiation in pure competition. Journal of Political Economy, 82, 34-55.

  • Sharma, U. (1984). Dowry in North India: Its consequences for women and property. In R. Hirsch (Ed.), Women and property: Women as property (pp. 62-74). London: Croom Helm.

  • Sharma, D.B.K. (1986). Dowry prohibition act and rules (p. 38). Allahabad: Law Publications.

  • Teja, M. K. (1993). Dowry: A study on attitudes and practices. New Delhi: Inter-India Publications.

  • Tobin, D.L., Holroyd, K.A., Reynolds, R.V., & Wigal, J.K. (1989). The hierarchical factor structure of the coping strategies inventory. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 13(4), 343-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01173478

  • Umar, M. (1998). Bride burning in India. New Delhi: A. P. H. Publishing Corporation.

  • Vallabhaneni, S. (1998). Asian-Indian women and their attitude toward mental health services. An unpublished doctoral research project, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago.

  • Waldrop, A. E., & Resick, P. A. (2004). Coping among adult female victims of domestic violence. Journal of Family Violence, 19(5), 291-302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:J OFV.0000042079.91846.68

  • Westbrook, L. (2008). E-government support for people in crisis: An evaluation of police department website support for domestic violence survivors using "person-insituation" information need analysis. Library and Information Science Research, 30(1), 22-38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2007.07.004

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (2001a). Strengthening mental health promotion. Geneva: World Health Organization.

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (2001b). Mental health: New understanding, new hope. The world health report. Geneva: World Health Organization.


Abstract Views: 346

PDF Views: 0




  • Dowry as a Social Practice and its Psychological Impact

Abstract Views: 346  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Shazia Perween
Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract


In contemporary times, dowry practice, although considered illegal, continues to be a socially accepted and rational outcome of the current Indian marriage market. The custom is held responsible for several atrocities perpetrated against women including dowry-related violence, bride burning, wife murder and often making them vulnerable to neurotic disorders and emotional problems. Unfortunately, the prohibition acts and punishments in an attempt to stop dowry practice has been ineffective. Something more than legislation is required to overcome this social evil and accord woman their dignity in the marriage setup. This paper is an attempt to highlight the social impact and psychological distress that the families and especially the daughter has to go through due to dowry practice and discuss psychological ways victims use to cope with these issues.

Keywords


Dowry, Social Impact, Psychological Distress, Coping.

References