Matrimonial Transactions and the Enactment of Class and Gender Difference Among Egyptian Youth

Opting out or left out? The gendered determinants of marriage in South Korea

“…As discussed, Charles et al (2013) did not find that parental wealth affects transitions into first‐marriages in the U.S. However, in cultural contexts where marriage is a “family affair,” larger family‐level inequalities may indeed impact the chances for marriage (Hu, 2016; see also Lee & Kim, 2015; Salem, 2018). The Korean data, furthermore, provide empirical evidence for the “reasonable possibility” that the impact of wealth on marriage prospects varies by gender (Schneider, 2011: 640).…”

“…Even if most are no longer strictly considered “arranged marriage societies,” where parents dictate spousal choice, the legacy of parental involvement in partner selection lingers in most Asian countries (Allendorf, 2013; Allendorf & Pandian, 2016; Ghimire et al, 2006; Kendall, 1996; Xu & Whyte, 1990). Indeed, juxtaposed to the popular Western notion that marriage entails individual choice (Klinenberg, 2012), the decisions to enter a union and with whom are considered in strong familism societies as a “family project” (Lee & Kim, 2015: 85; see also Salem, 2018). In its most extreme form, the rejection of a child's chosen partner has led to sensationalized cases of “honor killings” in some contexts (Pope, 2012).…”

“…As Yoon explains, because of exorbitant housing costs “parents are thus the ones who often shoulder a considerable part of the excessive marriage‐related expenses” (2018: 45). This is not something necessarily unique to Asia as significant parental financial involvement in children's marriage is a custom found in other strong familism societies where the legacy of bride service and dowry persists, including in the Middle East and North Africa (Salem, 2018).…”

Matrimonial Expenditures and Egyptian Women’s Power Within Marriage

“…Among Muslim Egyptians, a portion of the dower payments precede marriage (prompt dower), and another portion is paid to the wife in the event of divorce or the husband’s death (deferred dower). Scholars (El-Kholy, 2000; Hoodfar, 1998) and laypeople (Salem, n.d.) alike hold that in Egypt, marriage-related spending empowers brides, but this association has not been empirically tested because of the paucity of generalizable data.…”

“…In addition, a unique institution, the marriage inventory, or ayma , helps preserve the rights of Egyptian wives over their matrimonial property. All the household goods purchased by the bride and groom, in addition to the bride’s gold and the deferred dower, are listed in the marriage inventory, along with an inflated estimate of their monetary value (Salem, n.d.). According to El-Kholy (2000), if the husband physically abuses the wife, expels her from the conjugal home, divorces her, marries another wife, or dies, the wife can claim these items or an equivalent sum of money.…”