Dowry

The concept of a Dowry, whilst known throughout the world, is one which is much misunderstood and often regarded as synonymous with acts of violence against women. This exciting new volume seeks to debunk the overly simplistic conceptions of Dowry that are produced by a lack of understanding of this cultural practice. Taking a variety of theoretical and active approaches, this work successfully bridges the gap between today's prevailing theory and practice, whilst enshrining the centrality of South Asian women's own experiences as a starting point to any discussion. Through advocating the use of collective processes to liberate women, this book empowers women to be the agents of change as opposed to merely victims.

Bringing a unique diversity of perspectives from leading academics and activists, this book opens up the term 'Dowry' to undertake a study of its role in various communities across the world from the practice of 'mehr' amongst Muslim societies, the role of the dowry in Bangladesh, and its position in the wider diasporic populations globally. The groundbreaking, multidisciplinary book is essential reading for students, policymakers, practitioners and activists alike.

Table of Contents

List of tables - Preface
Introduction - Tamsin Bradley; Mangala Subramaniam, and Emma Tomlin
Section One: Conceptualising Dowry
1.Theorising Dowry: interdisciplinary concepts and methods for approaching the study of dowry - Emma Tomalin
2. The Dowry Project: past, present and future - Tamsin Bradley
Section Two: The Changing Patterns of Dowry
3. Mahr or Dowry? Marriage payments among South India Muslims - Anna Lindberg
4. Dowry in Rural Bangladesh: An Intractable problem? - Santi Rozarios
5. Gender, Generation and Globalisation: Male attitudes to dowry in a time of rapid social change - Kate Jehan
6. Trends and Patterns in Dowry Transactions: evidence from North and South India - Sonia Dalmia and Pareena Lawrence.
7. Marriage and Dowry among Muslim South Asian Immigrants in the U.S. - Farha Ternikar
Section Three: Activism: Challenges to Dowry
8. Dowry among Dalits: the case from rural Karnataka - Mangala Subramaniam
9. Getting beyond the Statistics: the changing face of dowry - Rajni Palriwala
10. Legacies of the Dowry Prohibition Act in India: marriage practices and feminist discourses - Srimati Basu
11. Dowry and Transnational Activism - Mangala Subramaniam, Karen Remedios, and Debarashmi Mitra
Conclusion - Tamsin Bradley; Mangala Subramaniam, and Emma Tomlin
Index

About the Authors:

Tamsin Bradley is ESRC Research Fellow, London Metropolitan University. Emma Tomalin is Lecturer in Religious Studies, University of Leeds. Magala Subramaniam is Associate Professor of Sociology, Purdue University, USA.