Sample Proposal on Marriage prestation

 

Marriage Prestation

     Introduction and statement of the problem :

Marriage, is a socially and culturally recognised union between two people found in all society.  In broader sense it is the process of binding two family. Through marriage both the spouses establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between their children and both of their in-laws. Later on the existing rights and duties transfers to the generation after generation. So this process is not only involves the two partners themselves but also the groups they are member of, particularly the kin groups to which they belongs to. It is considered as the socially and culturally accepted process of procreation.

Talking about prestation, it is combination of 3 terms called Pre, stay and shun which means ‘a payment in money or in services before staying together’. It is assumed to be as a duty to fulfil or not to fulfil any performance for the accomplishment of any obligation. It is different from gifting to someone, and more obliged to provide before marriage or any kind of such occasion to bind two kin groups. It can include reciprocal presentation or can be one sided in some cases.

Marriage prestation can be described as the payment of money or gift or services that is provided by the any one of the spouses, among the bridal side or the groom side. This is an ritual practice in many of the societies where ritual practices are found to be the most preferable condition for giving permission of procreation to the married couple. Prestation is performed as Dowry or bride price or sometimes Both for the accomplishment of the practice.

It is an traditional or can be said primitive practice is almost all societies and also performed by many of the society still now. But there are many pros and cons of this practice. Though it is publicly condemned, legally banned and morally despised of, in practice  it is still persists as some of the supports of this system argues that this practice has many advantages. According to them,

·        Prestation helps newly married couple to establish their own family and to connect both of their families together by providing gifts from each other or may be from one side.

·        This practice raises the status of the spouse, who provide prestation  in his or her in-law’s family.

·        In case of Dowry, it makes marriage of unqualified bride easy and Bride Price makes the unqualified groom to married easily.

·        It promotes inter-caste, inter-religion and inter-state or inter-ethnic marriages easy to accept by the families who receive marriage prestation.

·        It’s also use as a financial support for the spouse who take prestation from other and there can be  found many more illegal and illogical advantages like these.

It can be seen that it is vogue mindset of people who supports prestation practice for the above supportive statements. For being a part of social system this practice plays many disadvantageous role than its advantages and those can be briefly described here like,

·        First of all this practice creates a great burden on the bride’s or the groom’s family who provides this duty as obligatory to other family.

·        It increases the corrupt attitude and mindset towards the spouse who perform this duty and sometimes found to be as provided fund or financial support for future needs also.

·        It also leads some illogical and immoral practices in social settings in respect to economic burden.

·        It also minimizes the quality of standard of the mindset of the people who takes the prestation, although they don’t understand this in the motion of greed of receiving money or gifts.

·        This practice in the society creates the imbalance in the sex ratio which can be found after a prolonged practice. 

·        The practice become a psychological headache for the before and also after providing the prestation who practice these all. The spouse side sometimes becomes homeless and property less just to fulfil the prestation need of the other side.

·        Even after providing prestation there are many such case studies have been found that the brides were tortured for more money or gift and the spouse who supposed to be treated as a daughter of the family,  treated badly and sometime crucially  been tortured for not having enough prestation or for the fulfilment of their more greedy attitude.

So whether it is in form of dowry or in form of Bride price, prestation is something that is not legal in contemporary sense by looking at all of its disadvantages. So the study of perception towards this theme is highly recommended to understand the present situation of this practice in different social, cultural, economic and environmental context and also to understand the future possibilities of presence of this practice.

Aims and Objectives:

The present study on the theme of Marriage Prestation is aiming,

1.     To understand different possible perceptions towards marriage prestation.

2.     To find out the diversity of marriage prestation practices  in respect to diverse social, cultural, economic and environmental background.

3.     To understand the awareness of the pros and cons regarding the prestation before or during or after marriage among people.

Method of data collection:

The present theme can be described  and analysed by using qualitative approach.  The study can be undertake and data can be collected by organising an interview schedule. The schedule can be consists of following questions, divided into two parts General information of the participant and his or her perception towards marriage prestation.

Schedule for the interview:

General information of the participant
Name
Age
Gender
Religion
Ethnic affiliation
Kinship pattern

 

Perception regarding Marriage prestation

1.    Do you know what is Marriage Prestation? If yes, what do you think about it in general?

2.    Is there any practice of prestation before or during or after marriage in your society? If yes, when?

3.    How the practice of prestation is thought to be in your society?(including positive and negative insights)

4.    Is the prestation practice is obligatory in your society?

5.    Who provide prestation to whom?

6.    Is there any specific ritual to perform this event? If yes, what is that?

7.  Is the prestation practice is dependent on social, cultural, economic or environmental background ? if yes, kindly specify for each context.

8.  What are the different kind of prestation are usually provided by the spouse or spouses?

9.    What are the advantages of this practice assumed to be in your social context?

10.                       Have you came across to any unfavoured situation even after performing prestation?

11.                       Is there any obstacles spouses have faced or do face regarding performing this practice? If yes, kindly specify.

12.                       According to your experience why spouses or their family perform this practice?

13.                       What is your good experiences to perform prestation?

14.                       Is there any unfavored experience you have for not performing this practice? If yes, what is that?

15.                       Would you support prestation to be practiced in future? If yes, kindly specify your rationality.

Thank You