Abstract
Although marriage is a social institution but marital status and age at marriage are important demographic determinants as these aspects influence the pattern of fertility and natural growth of population. Studying the various aspects of marital status of any population group especially the figures related to women can give an exposition about the probability of fertility rate as well as social manifestation prevailing in the society. It also helps to understand the preferred specific age at marriage for women. However, little is known about the marital status of women living in Assam cutting across religions—Hindu, Muslim and Christian. In this backdrop, an attempt has been made through this research to examine the changing trend of marital status among the Hindu, Muslim and Christian women of Assam. The research is based on secondary data and Census information and considers the entire state of Assam. Census data of 2001 and 2011 shows interesting and striking information about the changing situation of marital status among the Hindus, Muslims and Christians of the state. It is arguable that the study linked to female marital status is saliently more influencing in this context as it determines the socio-economic status of women and pattern of fertility in any society. Among the different religions of Assam, Hindu women have the highest married proportion followed by Christian while Muslim is the lowest in the same category. Depending on the socio-cultural practices, economic conditions and the level of educational attainment, the age at marriage varies among the religious groups. The proportion of woman being married at a younger age has been less, is an indication of advancement in the educational scenario.
Highlights
It is well established that in India, marriage is a social institution, which plays an important role in the manifestation of the socio-cultural and demographic scenario of the country
Studying the various aspects of marital status of any population group especially the figures related to women can give an exposition about the probability of fertility rate as well as social manifestation prevailing in the society
Hindus and Christians with striking information about the changing more married women and less fertility rate situation of marital status among the Hindus, owes appreciation as it helps in balancing the Muslims and Christians of Assam (Table 1). growth rate of population
Summary
It is well established that in India, marriage is a social institution, which plays an important role in the manifestation of the socio-cultural and demographic scenario of the country. Few aspects related to marriage such as the marital status and age at marriage are important demographic determinants as these aspects influence the pattern of fertility and natural growth of the population. Studying the various aspects of marital status of any population group especially the figures related to women can give an exposition about the probability of fertility rate as well as social manifestation prevailing in the society. It can be stated that marital status of women and their age at marriage are important demographic determinants that shapes the structure and size of any population group within a region. There is an emerging literature on varied dynamics of marriage of Indian women (such as status and development of married women, married women’s decision making power, reproductive status and health, preference for son, etc.), far too little is known about marital status and age at marriage of women of Assam belonging to the three main religious groups (Hindus, Muslims and Christians). The present study has been undertaken to understand the various aspects of marital status of the Hindu, Muslim and Christian women of Assam
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