Spouse Selection Research Articles

Forced Marriage in Bangladesh: A Quantitative Study to Identify Key Factors

In this article, a study on the status of forced marriages in Sylhet division of Bangladesh has been done to determine the prevailing state of it and to identify the key factors that needed to be emphasized. A survey was conducted and a total of 1369 respondents were interviewed. This study mainly deals with 146 respondents who were found to be forced to marriage and some of them were victims of it. Cross-table and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data. Results show that forced marriages and victims of such incidents are greatly affected by people’s education and their income levels. The family types, age of participants, spouse selection approach, and desired time to marry are also significant factors. The concerned human rights workers should emphasize on the findings of this study to improve the human rights practice in Bangladesh.

Methodological Gravitism

In this paper the author presents the case of the exchange marriage system to delineate a model of methodological gravitism. Such a model is not a deviation from or alteration to the existing qualitative research approaches. I have adopted culturally specific methodology to investigate spouse selection in line with the Grounded Theory Method. This approach, indeed, suggests the unification of methodological individualism, collectivism, and the social positioning of the actor to study the complex and intricately intertwined networks of relatedness.

The effects of premarital relationship enrichment programs on marriage strength: A narrative review article

Background and Purpose: Strengthening marriage relationship includes a body of programs focusing on boosting the couples' common understanding, honesty, trust, empathy and coordination. Premarital consultation along with the couples' relationship enrichment can result in their improved relationship. The current study aims to analyze the studies conducted on consultation programs for marriage relationship enrichment and marriage strength. Methods: The current study is a narrative review performed using key words related to advanced search in database like Pubmed, Google Scholar, Web of Sciences, Magiran, Iran Medex and SID in the past 20 years. After recovering 57 papers, 10 Persian ones along with 25 English papers directly related to this issue and cited by famous authors many times have been given in the paper's results. Results: The findings show that premarital consultation through promoting life skills, familiarity with spouse selection criteria and paving the ground for accepting gender role in marriage can be considered as one of the critical components of strengthening marriage. Conclusion: Premarital consultation helps human beings to improve their relationship by knowing themselves and their would-be partner, clarifying their expectations from each other, promoting problem solving and getting aware of compatible and incompatible characteristics before marriage. By considering the population policy of Iran and in order to meeting favorite relationship between newly wedding couples, it's suggested to provide suitable premarital counseling packages according to Iranian socio-cultural context.

The effects of premarital relationship enrichment programs on marriage strength: A narrative review article

Background and Purpose: Strengthening marriage relationship includes a body of programs focusing on boosting the couples' common understanding, honesty, trust, empathy and coordination. Premarital consultation along with the couples' relationship enrichment can result in their improved relationship. The current study aims to analyze the studies conducted on consultation programs for marriage relationship enrichment and marriage strength. Methods: The current study is a narrative review performed using key words related to advanced search in database like Pubmed, Google Scholar, Web of Sciences, Magiran, Iran Medex and SID in the past 20 years. After recovering 57 papers, 10 Persian ones along with 25 English papers directly related to this issue and cited by famous authors many times have been given in the paper's results. Results: The findings show that premarital consultation through promoting life skills, familiarity with spouse selection criteria and paving the ground for accepting gender role in marriage can be considered as one of the critical components of strengthening marriage. Conclusion: Premarital consultation helps human beings to improve their relationship by knowing themselves and their would-be partner, clarifying their expectations from each other, promoting problem solving and getting aware of compatible and incompatible characteristics before marriage. By considering the population policy of Iran and in order to meeting favorite relationship between newly wedding couples, it's suggested to provide suitable premarital counseling packages according to Iranian socio-cultural context.

Constructions and experiences of sexual health among young, heterosexual, unmarried Muslim women immigrants in Australia

Minority ethnic immigrant women are frequently vulnerable to poor sexual health outcomes, due to poor use of sexual health services, lack of knowledge and social stigma associated with the discussion of sexuality. This paper explores the sexual health accounts provided by a group of young, unmarried heterosexual Muslim women immigrants residing and studying in Sydney, an under-researched group in the Australian context. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted, focusing on sex before marriage, spouse selection and contraceptive use. Feminist discourse analysis identified ‘purity versus corruption’ as the primary construction of women's sexuality, where women positioned their sexual behaviour as that of purity and uninvolvement or corruption through unwedded participation. The subthemes ‘maintaining ignorance and naivety’, ‘remaining virginal’, ‘sex segregation’ and ‘the fallen woman’ capture women's personal sexuality-related experiences and values within the context of their religious and cultural communities. Additional research with this community is needed to examine the effects of negative social constructions of sex on young sexually active Muslim women, as well as further research on young women's sexual health within immigrant communities.

Escolha conjugal feminina: uma análise intergeracional segundo uma perspectiva crítica em psicologia

This study aims to identify and analyze the variables involved in the selection of the first spouse of women of two generations (grandmothers and granddaughters) in a city located in Goias state, Brazil, and how these variables affect their subjective choice. The theoretical reference adopted was based on works with emphasis on historical aspects of women and love relations, from a critical perspective in psychology. The sample comprised 10 grandmothers who married (including stable cohabitation) for the first time before 1961, and their granddaughters who were born after 1980 and married (including stable cohabitation) for the first time after the year 2000. The research instrument was a semi-structured individual interview. The analysis aimed to infer from each participant's responses their perceptions related to the importance of the variables and how these were determined. The results obtained show that the marital selection process has changed markedly in the time between the two generations (grandmothers and granddaughters), but more in the sense of incorporation of new values than the abandonment of the old ones.

'The Art of the Deal': Preferences in Spouse Selection among Parents in a Hasidic Community

'The Art of the Deal': Preferences in Spouse Selection among Parents in a Hasidic Community

Demographic conditions of the functioning of peasant families at the turn of the Middle Ages

Demographic conditions of the functioning of peasant families at the turn of the Middle Ages(Summary)The main aim of this paper is to present the possibilities of applying judicial sources to a demographic analysis of 15th- and 16th-century peasant families. The appearance of village court records is connected with the promulgation of German law on Polish lands and the emergence of the institution of local government headed by the bailiff, who together with peasant aldermen performed judicial duties. Over 70% of the village court records deal with the land market, rents, wills, matters of inheritance, loans and liens, criminal and moral cases, and disputes among neighbours. The subject of study in the present article is one of the oldest Polish village court records from the village of Trześniowa, 1409–1609, published by Helena Polaczkówna. The study focuses on three problems: the duration of the peasants’ economic activity, the size of families and territorial selection of spouses. The average duration (mean) for the investigated period was 24 years but the median was only 21, with visible discrepancies between particular subperiods. Peasants who remained active the longest were those who began their activity in the 15th century (mean – 25, median – 24). One hundred years later, this period was several years shorter (mean – 21.5; median – 20). The variations in the durations of peasants’ economic activity can also be observed in the social dimension. The average duration of the economic activity of members of the peasant elite (bailiffs, aldermen) amounted to 26 years (median – 25) and was significantly higher than among peasants who never performed any official functions. The average number of children registered in the court roll fluctuated throughout the period under investigation. In the case of 45 families whose children reached maturity in the 15th century, the mean was 1.7. In the following century the average rose to 3 children per family. However, among the offspring recorded in the court records there was a marked disproportion regarding gender, to the advantage of men, so women who are missing in the source should be added in order to achieve a balance. The observation of the reconstructed families in Trześniowa points to substantial differences in the number of children reaching adulthood in both groups of the peasant population. Throughout the entire investigated time period, in elite families the average number of children reaching adulthood amounted to 3.8 whereas among other peasants it was one child less. Trześniowa’s inhabitants married citizens of towns located at some distance from their family village – marriages were concluded with people living within 80 km of Trześniowa.

MARRIAGE-RELATED DECISION-MAKING AND YOUNG WOMEN'S MARITAL RELATIONS AND AGENCY

There is little research that has explored how marriage arrangements, i.e., family-arranged, semi-arranged marriages with some say in spouse selection and self-arranged marriages, affect young women's married life in settings traditionally characterised by arranged marriage. Using data from 13,912 married young women aged 15–24 in India, we explore associations between marriage arrangements and young women's marital relations and agency. Logistic regression analysis shows that women experiencing semi- and self-arranged marriages were more likely than those in family-arranged marriages to communicate and interact with their husband (OR, 1.3–2.8), and exhibit agency in their life (OR, 1.2–2.3); those in semi-arranged marriages were less likely to experience marital violence. These associations were, however, stronger and more consistent among women from southern and western states than in northern and eastern states. Findings call for expanding the discourse on marriage to ensure young people's right to free and full consent in spouse selection.

O759 SEXUAL SELF CONCEPT IN SPOUSE SELECTION

International Journal of Gynecology & ObstetricsVolume 119, Issue S3 p. S528-S528 Free communication (oral) presentations O759 SEXUAL SELF CONCEPT IN SPOUSE SELECTION T. Ziaei, T. ZiaeiSearch for more papers by this authorE. Merghati Khoei, E. Merghati KhoeiSearch for more papers by this authorM. Salehi, M. SalehiSearch for more papers by this authorZ. Farajzadegan, Z. FarajzadeganSearch for more papers by this author T. Ziaei, T. ZiaeiSearch for more papers by this authorE. Merghati Khoei, E. Merghati KhoeiSearch for more papers by this authorM. Salehi, M. SalehiSearch for more papers by this authorZ. Farajzadegan, Z. FarajzadeganSearch for more papers by this author First published: 22 October 2012 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7292(12)61189-8AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume119, IssueS3Abstracts of XX FIGO World Congress of Gynecology and ObstetricsOctober 2012Pages S528-S528 RelatedInformation

Marital instability among British Pakistanis: transnationality, conjugalities and Islam

This article offers insights into the dynamics underlying an increase in marital instability in British Pakistani families, thus challenging stereotypes of British South Asian populations as representing ‘old-fashioned’ families, with their lower rates of divorce in contrast with the wider British population. In addition to problems of compatibility, domestic violence and infidelity, we explore dynamics that may be more specific to the British Pakistani population, namely the transnational nature of many marriages, attitudes to parental involvement in arranging marriages, and the place of Islam. We suggest that, while arranged marriages were conventionally seen as safer than love marriages, both young people and their parents may now be viewing arranged marriages as riskier. In an arranged marriage that brings family approval but not personal fulfilment, young people are increasingly supported to divorce and remarry, with a greater degree of personal say in spouse selection.

The economic value of virtue

This paper analyzes the interaction between socioeconomic factors and the value and prevalence of female virginity. Using a simple model of the marriage market, in which premarital chastity is an important factor influencing spouse selection, we show that the prevalence of virginity increases with male inequality, social fluidity, overall economic development, the gender gap and, under certain conditions, social status. We also build a dynamic version of the model, showing that it can reproduce both the emergence and the subsequent decline of chastity in favor of a more widespread practice of premarital sex. The implications of our theory are consistent with some historical and cross-cultural evidence.

Changing Patterns of Marriage Courtship among the Hausas: The Case of Emerging Role of Marriage Brokerage in Contemporary Kano Metropolis

This paper describes a number of significant alterations in the patterns of courtship among the Hausas of Northern Nigeria with specific reference to contemporary Kano Metropolis identifying some attending consequences. These changes affect personal choice preference in spouse selection, power of parents and relatives, the role of agency of marriage brokerage, the demands of the dating parties, and the expectations of the spouses prior and during courtships and marriages. The results of the changes are both positive and negative. On the one hand, the changes have opened avenues for match-makers popularly known as “Masu Dalilin Aure;” expanded the markets of mobile telecommunications industries; and increased the social capital of those in the communication business. On the other hand, there has been a decline in the role of parents as primary socializing agents; a disruption in the family ethos; high rates of divorce rates; increase in the number of unwanted pregnancies, abortions and throw-away children; and a rise in reported cases of delinquent behaviors. The paper posits that comprehensive studies that will explore the cost and benefit analyses of the institution of marriage brokerage need to be conducted in order to have a nuanced understanding of the phenomenon, as well as the trajectories of its dynamics. Keywords: Courtship, Marriage Brokerage, Dalilin Aure, Social Change

More Careful or Less Marriageable? Parental Divorce, Spouse Selection and Entry into Marriage

Despite the large literature on the long-term effects of parental divorce, few studies have analyzed the effects of parental divorce on spouse selection behavior. However, the characteristics of one's spouse can have important effects on economic well-being and on marital success. We use discrete-time, event-history data from Finnish population registers to study the effects of parental divorce on entry into marriage with spouses who have different educational qualifications (both absolute and relative to one's own education), using conditional multinomial logistic regression models. The results show that Finnish children of divorce have lower rates of marriage than those from intact families. In particular, children of divorce have a lower likelihood of marrying spouses with secondary education or more, and especially low rates of marrying someone with a tertiary degree. The latter gap is smaller among those with tertiary education, as a result of the higher rates of homogamous marriage among the children of divorce with high education. Our findings suggest that children of divorce carry with them traits and behaviors that make them less marriageable candidates in the marriage market. We discuss the possible implications of these findings.

Microfinance and women empowerment: A case study of District Bahawalpur (Pakistan)

Empowerment of women is one of the important issues in developing countries. Women are an integral part of the society, their participation in decision making through their participation in economic activities is very low. Microfinance plays a significant role in improving women decision making through participation in economic activities. The study is an attempt to explore the socioeconomic determinants of women empowerment, focusing on the women who have availed the micro-credit. Women empowerment is measured by constructing simple index based on five indicators related to child health, education, selection of spouse of children, purchase of basic goods and decision of household savings. The results based on the primary data of District Bahawalpur show that women empowerment is considerably influenced by age, education of husband, father inherited assets, marital status, number of sons alive and amount of microfinance. The study decomposes data into two subsets showing where the loan is utilized by women themselves and where the loan is utilized by other members of the household, like husband, father or head of household. It is concluded that females using loan by themselves have better effects of microfinance on empowerment as compared to the loans utilized by other members of the household. Finally, it is concluded that microfinance as a major explanatory variable of the study has shown positive effect on empowerment of women but not as much as it was expected. It is suggested that along with provision of education and family protection the enlarged volume of microfinance and its utilization by the woman must be ensured. Microfinance institutions should strengthen and expand their support to women for their empowerment. Key words: Women empowerment, microfinance, Pakistan, female employment, women autonomy.

The relational analyses of Pakhtun social organization (Pakhtunwali) and women’s Islamic rights relegation in Malakand division, KPK Pakistan

A hefty relation has been observed between Islam and Pakhtunwali (Pakhtun social organization) for as long as Pakhtuns are among those who wholeheartedly accept Islam as a religion. Both (Islam and Pakhtunwali) serve as the basic pillars and tend to bring social harmony and integrity through the socio-cultural, economic, religious and political aspects of Pakhtuns living in their demarcated territory. The current study focuses on those misconceptions that are prevalent among the inhabitants about Islam as an ideal type religion that has affinity to Pakhtunwali. Particularly, the research study emphasizes over relegation of those rights, which have evenly been scribed for both men and women in Islam, while on the contrary, Pakhtun social organization through the adherence of ideal traditional social structure looks down upon women. The information utilized in this study was collected during a PhD research survey in 2008 from 4425 households through anthropological techniques including participant observation, case studies and in-depth interviews from 775 respondents (both male and female of age 25 and above inChakdara Town, District Dir Lower). Furthermore, the secondary information (relevant literature and Islamic scripts) have been utilized for the relational analysis of both the ideal types. The study patently summarizes clear disparity between the implementation of ideal Islamic Sharia and Pakhtunwali. Almost all the internal and external activities ofPakhtuns are overseen under the traditional system of Pakhtunwali (Pakhtun social organization) while Islam as an ideal type religion has no such role in the indulgence of women’s rights in many aspects of life. Key words: Pakhtunwali, relegation, rights to divorce, remarriage, property, spouse selection, ideal type.

Spouse Selection and Marital Mobility in the Ottoman Empire: Observations from Eighteenth-Century Kastamonu

Based on the information found in probate estate inventories, this article examines patterns of spousal preference and marital mobility in eighteenth-century Ottoman Kastamonu, located in northern Anatolia. For this purpose, we introduce quantitative techniques and categories of analysis specifically designed for Ottoman sources, primarily postmortem estate inventories (terekes), allowing us to measure how various socioeconomic groups established marital associations and to what extent they married other groups. The article also compares marital and intergenerational mobility patterns in eighteenth-century Kastamonu.

Do We Choose Our Spouse Based on Our In‐Laws? Resolving the Effects of Family Background and Spousal Choice for Educational Attainment, Religious Practice, and Political Preference

ObjectivesContemporary scholarly debate emphasizes the importance of spouse selection on population stratification, typically focusing on the traits of spouses themselves. In this study spouses and their parents were analyzed to resolve the effects of direct spousal assortment from family background assortment on three social traits that spouses correlate the highest: education, church attendance, and political affiliation.MethodsThe data set is comprised of a core of spousal pairs and their parents assessed by self‐report and a more extensive set of individuals on whom there are only ratings by relatives for educational attainment, church attendance, and political preference. Structural equation models were fitted to the observed polychoric correlations by diagonal weighted least squares.ResultsFor education and church attendance, assortment was based primarily on the traits of the spouses themselves, but models including independent assortment for the traits of parents‐in‐law gave a better fit. For political affiliation, assortment based on social background influenced by the traits of both parents gave a better fit.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate that in humans, spousal similarity may reflect processes of selection and stratification that are more complex than commonly supposed in most models for family resemblance and social diversity.

Mature consumers' selection of apparel and footwear brands and department stores

PurposeThis study seeks to examine mature consumers' motives in the selection of apparel and footwear brands and reasons for patronizing department stores. Differences in brand‐choice motives are assessed among age cohort groups within the mature consumers segment as well as mature consumer segments defined by various socio‐demographic and lifestyle factors (i.e. gerontographic segmentation).Design/methodology/approachA USA nation‐wide random sample of 10,400 head of households was surveyed in regards to reasons for choosing apparel and footwear brands and department stores.FindingsThe results show that older consumers not only differ from their younger counterparts but are also heterogeneous when it comes to reasons for choosing specific brands and department stores. Specifically, price reductions and special sales drive the majority of mature consumers' brand selection, while advice or requests of spouse or other relatives and recommendations of salespeople are important factors in brand selection. Ease of returning products or getting refunds and frequency of items on sale are the main drivers of department store patronization.Practical implicationsMarketing managers should consider preference differences in age and gerontographic segments when creating marketing strategies to serve mature consumers.Originality/valueTypically, mature consumers are aggregated into a single age segment (e.g. over 55). This study examines mature consumer reasons for selecting apparel and footwear brands and department stores based not just on age, but also on individual characteristics, specifically, gerontographic characteristics. Suggestions for marketing strategies designed to appeal to gerontographic segments are provided.

Testing Beckers Efficient Marriage Market Hypothesis And Its Implications For Spouse Selection And Marital Transfers In India

This paper constructs an empirical model of spouse selection based on Becker’s efficient marriage market hypothesis to examine how equilibrium sorting takes place in marriage markets in India. It finds that education of the groom and age of the bride has the largest effect on matching behavior in India. More importantly, it finds that marital transfers from brides and their families to grooms and their families increase the likelihood of women marrying men of similar type.