Socio-Cultural aspects of Court Marriage in District Rajanpur

Abstract

The present study is about the Socio-Cultural aspects of Court marriage and this study was carried out at District Rajanpur of Southern Punjab. The aim of the study was to examine why this phenomenon of court marriage is emerging in that community and it also endures the cultural practices which are shaped by caste, class, religion and ethnicity. The study used case studies and in-depth-interviews to explore and understand the background, family, and household characteristics of the couples who practice court marriage. The study was designed under the course of certain research objectives including perceptions of the people about court marriages, to investigate the reasons and consequences of court marriages, to document the prevailing phenomenon of exogamous marriages, to explore the link between court marriages and social status. The study found that this phenomenon of court marriage is increasing because of different reasons including caste and class stratification, religious barrier, social and cultural barrier, social media, endogamy or exogamy, authority of decision, dowry as practice and age differences. It was also found that the couples who go for court marriage faces difficulties after their marriage as security issues, financial problems, divorce, rejection from the families and lack of freedom. It was discovered that majority people of that local community give negative views about court marriage and had little leniency for the couples of court marriage. This research also finds out how people get their rights through court marriages where they lack freedom of expression/repressed. Also its purpose is to bring awareness in the youth of the negative consequences which cease the equilibrium of the society and could not give productive members to it.