Women roles in weddings: ethnography of wedding rituals among Rajput in Punjab, Pakistan
Abstract
Among Rajputs wedding ceremony has own procedures and events which is carried out
through rituals. These rituals carry the symbolic meanings and symbolic representations for
the people who practice and endorse them. This article ethnographically investigates the
wedding ceremony along with the rituals performed among the Rajput people living in a small
town in central Punjab (Pakistan). The research is qualitative study with participant
observation and in-depth interviews as the main tools for collecting data. The study reveals
that certain rituals performed during the wedding days perform two major functions. Besides
providing the amusement and festivity, they produce, reproduce and reinforce stereotypical
roles of women within the community. Secondly, they help bride and groom to go through a
transformation of their status by assigning their new roles and expectations as husband and
wife.
Keywords
References
- Coltrane S. (1998) Gender and families. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
September 1, 2014
Submission Date
January 13, 2014
Acceptance Date
August 10, 2014
Published in Issue
Year 2014 Volume: 5 Number: 1