Liminalities, Fear and Aspirations: Lived Experiences of Brides-To- Be in Punjab

Abstract

Liminality is the transformational stage from an identified state to an unidentified state. This state is related to the elimination of preceding limits and the formation of new rules. A person can be temporarily eliminated from everyday life to go through responsibilities or events that will prepare them for their new role. The concept of liminality truly revolves around the concept of marriage. As marriage is a revolution to reproducing new life, it not only makes the new life beautiful, but it also has challenges, hardships, and fears. Marriage is an essential ritual in all cultures. Most ceremonies in rites of passage are spiritual ceremonies which fortify the dominant spiritual perspectives and values of a culture. The current study investigates the transitional phases of brides-to-be with special reference to the stages of liminalities and fears in the context of South Asia, Pakistan, and Punjab. The Study also focuses on the fears, especially forced marriages and parental pressure which are faced by brides to be. Also, this study examines the aspirations of brides to be for their upcoming life especially associated with marriage. The study was conducted in Girls hostels, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. The method of study was chosen to be the qualitative method with the data collection technique being an interview guide. The researcher adopted purposive sampling to document and record aspirations, liminalities and lived experiences of Punjabi girls from different girls‟ hostels of Quaid-i-Azam University. The researcher selected qualitative research methods for the topic such as in-depth interviews, semi structured interviews, focus group discussions, and case studies of the respondents were utilized for efficient data collection and analysis. Purposive sampling was opted for, and in-depth interviews were conducted with fifteen key informants. According to the study's findings, brides-to-be are subject to a variety of pressures from their parents and in-laws. The pressure of perfection affects every facet of a woman‟s life. The reason being that in today's culture everyone wants a flawless daughter-in-law. In a society where appearance and the quality of life are highly correlated, women find their happiness bound to only one factor to fulfill the demands of them in laws. Because they know if they do so they can win the hearts of their in-laws. Keywords: Liminalities, Brides to be, Lived Experiences, Fears, Aspirations