International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 35, Issue 3/4, April 2015.
Purpose Family socio-cultural values and its practices have pervasive effects on early age at first marriage in every society. This study examines and compares how family socio-cultural values and its practices exert effect on early age at first marriage between Muslim and Santal couples in rural Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach First of all through snow-ball process and checking of marriage documents we carefully identified 598 couples from Muslim and 560 from Santal who were married the first time between 1995 and 2005 years and whose age range was 12 to 48 years for husbands and 10 to 45 years for wives. Then, 585 pairs of couples (295 for Muslim and 290 for Santal) were randomly selected from the Talonda of Rajshahi district, Bangladesh. Data were collected, applying interview method with semi-structural questionnaire in family setting. Then the collected data were analyzed, using X2 test and binary logistic regression (BLR) technique. Findings The frequency distribution showed that most of the Santal couples compared to the Muslim ones were married before the minimum legal age in Bangladesh. The results of X2 test of the frequency distribution were significant at p<0.01 & p<0.05 level. In addition, results of BLR analysis suggested that early age at first marriage was significantly (p<0.01 & p<0.05) associated with family socio-cultural values studied. It is argued that ethnicity, family pattern, residence pattern, illiteracy and ascriptive occupational status were the risk factors to persist early marriage among the Santal couples than the Muslim ones in rural Bangladesh. Practical implications Although the findings are suggestive to understand differences in early marriage associated with family socio-cultural values between the ethnic couples, further cross-cultural study should be conducted on how socio-psychological factors affect early marriage between the ethnic groups. In spite of the limitations these findings may have implications in comparative social policy-practice to prevent early marriage associated with changes in family socio-cultural values between the ethnic groups in Bangladesh. Originality/value The findings in the paper are original in linking between family socio-cultural theory, its related policy and practice to prevent early marriage between the ethnic couples in Bangladesh.
Purpose Family socio-cultural values and its practices have pervasive effects on early age at first marriage in every society. This study examines and compares how family socio-cultural values and its practices exert effect on early age at first marriage between Muslim and Santal couples in rural Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach First of all through snow-ball process and checking of marriage documents we carefully identified 598 couples from Muslim and 560 from Santal who were married the first time between 1995 and 2005 years and whose age range was 12 to 48 years for husbands and 10 to 45 years for wives. Then, 585 pairs of couples (295 for Muslim and 290 for Santal) were randomly selected from the Talonda of Rajshahi district, Bangladesh. Data were collected, applying interview method with semi-structural questionnaire in family setting. Then the collected data were analyzed, using X2 test and binary logistic regression (BLR) technique. Findings The frequency distribution showed that most of the Santal couples compared to the Muslim ones were married before the minimum legal age in Bangladesh. The results of X2 test of the frequency distribution were significant at p<0.01 & p<0.05 level. In addition, results of BLR analysis suggested that early age at first marriage was significantly (p<0.01 & p<0.05) associated with family socio-cultural values studied. It is argued that ethnicity, family pattern, residence pattern, illiteracy and ascriptive occupational status were the risk factors to persist early marriage among the Santal couples than the Muslim ones in rural Bangladesh. Practical implications Although the findings are suggestive to understand differences in early marriage associated with family socio-cultural values between the ethnic couples, further cross-cultural study should be conducted on how socio-psychological factors affect early marriage between the ethnic groups. In spite of the limitations these findings may have implications in comparative social policy-practice to prevent early marriage associated with changes in family socio-cultural values between the ethnic groups in Bangladesh. Originality/value The findings in the paper are original in linking between family socio-cultural theory, its related policy and practice to prevent early marriage between the ethnic couples in Bangladesh.
