Dowry, bride-burning, and female power in India

Tracking Cross-Cultural Gender Bias in Reputations

“…Contrary to our initial predictions, patrilocality was positively related to the number of feminine reputations. This finding is consistent with previous studies that have called attention to the heightened importance of evaluating marriageable or recently married women in patrilocal societies (Stone & James, 1995; Stone & King, 2018). Potentially, residence systems facilitate greater opportunities for community members to assign a reputation to the sex arriving as a marriage partner, as opposed to the sex for whom residence rules prescribe natality.…”

Tracking Cross-Cultural Gender Bias in Reputations

“…Contrary to our initial predictions, patrilocality was positively related to the number of feminine reputations. This finding is consistent with previous studies that have called attention to the heightened importance of evaluating marriageable or recently married women in patrilocal societies (Stone & James, 1995; Stone & King, 2018). Potentially, residence systems facilitate greater opportunities for community members to assign a reputation to the sex arriving as a marriage partner, as opposed to the sex for whom residence rules prescribe natality.…”

Dowry Demand and Harassment: Prevalence and Risk Factors in India

“…This figure is likely to be a gross underestimate because many crimes against women go unreported on account of social stigma (Williams, 2013). Reports of violence against women whose dowries were considered insufficient by their husbands or their husbands' families are common (Kumari, 1989;Stone & James, 1995). More recent studies have documented the effect of dowry on women's physical and mental health and of how in India it is a major cause of mortality in women (Vindhya, 2000;Babu & Babu, 2011;Banerjee, 2014).…”

The dowry system in Northern India: Women's attitudes and social change

“…Other studies (e.g., Krishnaswamy, 1995; Mathew, 1987) suggest that even parents of daughters see the dowry as an opportunity to make status claims and to ensure good treatment of their daughters by their new husbands’ families. Thus, although most married women in Bihar disapprove of the dowry system, and the Indian government has legally outlawed the dowry through the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, the practice is flourishing (Bhat & Halli, 1999; Stone & James, 1995).…”

“…In addition, for women's attitudes to have an effect on the actual practice of the dowry, women must have sufficient power or influence to implement their preferences, or to sway men to their position. There is little evidence that women's power is increasing in India; instead it remains a thoroughly patriarchal culture (Das Gupta & Bhat, 1998; Stone & James, 1995). And, as noted earlier, decreased fertility among higher status families increases the competition for desirable husbands by reducing the supply.…”

Tracking Cross-Cultural Gender Bias in Reputations

“…Contrary to our initial predictions, patrilocality was positively related to the number of feminine reputations. This finding is consistent with previous studies that have called attention to the heightened importance of evaluating marriageable or recently married women in patrilocal societies (Stone & James, 1995; Stone & King, 2018). Potentially, residence systems facilitate greater opportunities for community members to assign a reputation to the sex arriving as a marriage partner, as opposed to the sex for whom residence rules prescribe natality.…”

Dowry Demand and Harassment: Prevalence and Risk Factors in India

“…This figure is likely to be a gross underestimate because many crimes against women go unreported on account of social stigma (Williams, 2013). Reports of violence against women whose dowries were considered insufficient by their husbands or their husbands' families are common (Kumari, 1989;Stone & James, 1995). More recent studies have documented the effect of dowry on women's physical and mental health and of how in India it is a major cause of mortality in women (Vindhya, 2000;Babu & Babu, 2011;Banerjee, 2014).…”

The dowry system in Northern India: Women's attitudes and social change

“…Other studies (e.g., Krishnaswamy, 1995; Mathew, 1987) suggest that even parents of daughters see the dowry as an opportunity to make status claims and to ensure good treatment of their daughters by their new husbands’ families. Thus, although most married women in Bihar disapprove of the dowry system, and the Indian government has legally outlawed the dowry through the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, the practice is flourishing (Bhat & Halli, 1999; Stone & James, 1995).…”

“…In addition, for women's attitudes to have an effect on the actual practice of the dowry, women must have sufficient power or influence to implement their preferences, or to sway men to their position. There is little evidence that women's power is increasing in India; instead it remains a thoroughly patriarchal culture (Das Gupta & Bhat, 1998; Stone & James, 1995). And, as noted earlier, decreased fertility among higher status families increases the competition for desirable husbands by reducing the supply.…”

Tracking Cross-Cultural Gender Bias in Reputations

“…Contrary to our initial predictions, patrilocality was positively related to the number of feminine reputations. This finding is consistent with previous studies that have called attention to the heightened importance of evaluating marriageable or recently married women in patrilocal societies (Stone & James, 1995; Stone & King, 2018). Potentially, residence systems facilitate greater opportunities for community members to assign a reputation to the sex arriving as a marriage partner, as opposed to the sex for whom residence rules prescribe natality.…”

Dowry Demand and Harassment: Prevalence and Risk Factors in India

“…This figure is likely to be a gross underestimate because many crimes against women go unreported on account of social stigma (Williams, 2013). Reports of violence against women whose dowries were considered insufficient by their husbands or their husbands' families are common (Kumari, 1989;Stone & James, 1995). More recent studies have documented the effect of dowry on women's physical and mental health and of how in India it is a major cause of mortality in women (Vindhya, 2000;Babu & Babu, 2011;Banerjee, 2014).…”

The dowry system in Northern India: Women's attitudes and social change

“…Other studies (e.g., Krishnaswamy, 1995; Mathew, 1987) suggest that even parents of daughters see the dowry as an opportunity to make status claims and to ensure good treatment of their daughters by their new husbands’ families. Thus, although most married women in Bihar disapprove of the dowry system, and the Indian government has legally outlawed the dowry through the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, the practice is flourishing (Bhat & Halli, 1999; Stone & James, 1995).…”

“…In addition, for women's attitudes to have an effect on the actual practice of the dowry, women must have sufficient power or influence to implement their preferences, or to sway men to their position. There is little evidence that women's power is increasing in India; instead it remains a thoroughly patriarchal culture (Das Gupta & Bhat, 1998; Stone & James, 1995). And, as noted earlier, decreased fertility among higher status families increases the competition for desirable husbands by reducing the supply.…”