Wedding Celebrations as Conspicuous Consumption - Article Example

Article Review: Wedding Celebrations as Conspicuous Consumption Article Citation Bloch, F., Rao, V., and Desai, S. (2004). Wedding celebrations as conspicuous consumption: signaling social status in rural India. Journal of Human Resources 39.3: 675+. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 July 2011.  http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=AONE&docId=A122560792&source=gale&srcprod=AONE&userGroupName=cuny_hunter&version=1.0 Introduction Of all the occasions being celebrated within the lifetime of a social person, nothing comes close to the prestige enjoyed by wedding celebrations. Couturiers, florists, videographers, photographers, event planners, caterers and even musicians make big profits out of the wedding business. By all means, in the United States, wedding is an industry of its own. Single men talk of dream girls whom they would walk down the aisle. Single women talk of dream weddings. Friends and families talk about how lovely and memorable the latest wedding was. Magazines show glossy pictures of the latest trend in wedding dresses. All these sum up to the social pressure of mounting the most unforgettable wedding. Not to mention the bridal registries that show what the other guests have bought as gifts which put pressure on a guest to either outdo the other guests or think of a more unique gift for the couple. I thought this phenomenon is peculiar to the cutthroat and capitalist society called America until I found a study conducted on the extremely lavish weddings in rural India which consist of the wedding celebration itself and the dowry. After reading the abstract of the paper, I immediately knew that I have found the paper that I want to review for this class. The paper does not only have a very interesting title, it is also about the subject that everyone can relate to. The paper that I shall be reviewing is entitled “Wedding celebrations as conspicuous consumption: signaling social status in rural India”. It is an empirical study that examines the motivation of families in spending more than what they can afford for dowry and wedding celebrations and looks at the factors that determine the amount of dowry and the amount spent for the wedding celebration. Summary The research paper looks into the social phenomenon in India where apparently impoverished families spend a fortune for a daughter’s marriage. Parents save up a huge amount, sell their properties, or incur huge debts in order to raise funds for the dowry and the lavish wedding celebration where large numbers of people from the village join in the revelry that lasts for a few days. The authors tried to come up with a model that explains why parents spend up to seven times their annual income for the dowry and wedding celebrations. They also tried to determine a common formula for the determination of the amount of dowry taking into consideration the factors that increases or decreases its value. During the conduct of their study, the researchers were limited by the unwillingness of most women to respond completely to their questionnaires. Also, there is a social taboo in revealing the exact amount of the dowry paid by the bride’s family to the groom’s family. This makes the determination of the formula difficult because they do not have exact values. The study was made even more difficult by the complexity of the Indian social structure where the caste system is still enforced. They have also noticed a significant difference in the wedding expenditure when the groom is a local from the same village or a stranger from a far off village. The research found that lavish weddings in rural India are a form of conspicuous consumption insofar as wedding celebrations are concerned but not with regard to the payment of dowries. This is because wedding celebrations are witnessed and participated in by members of the groom’s family and the bride’s village. On the one hand, an extravagant wedding shows to the village that the family can afford one and therefore create a good and desirable public opinion about the family and the newlyweds. On the other hand, dowries are paid to the groom’s family and often, the exact amount is kept a secret. Although rumors always circulate as to the amount, it is for the best interest of the family on either side to refuse from revealing the exact figure. Therefore, the fortune spend on dowry is not a form of conspicuous spending. Theoretical Perspective The paper uses the theoretical perspective of feminism. Although the authors do not explicitly declare it as such, it can be seen at how they try to expose the discrimination against women in India, especially in the rural villages. The study is made from the standpoint of women. It examines the disadvantaged position that women have on the matter of marriage. It looks at the burden that the family has to carry in its obligation to marry off a daughter. It looks at how fathers try to find a good husband and negotiate for an agreeable price for the groom. It looks at how the parents of the bride are burdened with the social duty to celebrate the marriage of a daughter like it is some kind of a lifetime achievement. Finally, it tells about how an unmarried daughter is seen as a bad luck for her family. Although the paper does not aim to demolish this well-entrenched Indian custom and tradition, it tries to understand the phenomenon and even calls for more in-depth studies on the subject. It does not aim to stop the social practice but tries to bring it to light. It exposes the predicament most poor families have on the matter of marrying off their children. It exposes the dynamics involved in the determination of the dowry as well as the amount spent for the celebration. All these have implications on both the quality of the bride and groom. Therefore, the parents of the bride have the social and financial burden not only to show off that they can afford the expensive wedding but also that their daughter, who is of high quality has had a good catch in the person of the groom. On the contrary, there is no such burden on the part of the groom who is viewed by society as a prize trophy for the bride. The groom is a prized achievement who must be paid and shown off in order to elevate the bride’s social standing in the village. Methodology The study used qualitative and empirical research methods. They started with a hypothesis and several theoretical models which they put to test using the data gathered through surveys, interviews and actual observations. They focused their study in five districts in the southern part of India and identified their respondents through random sampling of households. They interviewed the key players in the Indian wedding celebrations: the father of the bride or the head of the family, the ever-married woman and an elderly. The father or head of the family provides information on the expenses and the raising of the funds. He also gives insight into his motivation in aiming for as lavish a wedding as their resources can stretch to. The ever-married woman provides information into her own wedding experience. Although it was not expressly stated in the paper because they later dropped the data from the women due to incomplete information, we can surmise that the ever-married women are sought to provide an insight into her feelings and opinions about her own wedding. Perhaps they also want to know if the extravagance of the wedding has a relation to the marital bliss of the woman. Finally, the third category of respondents is the elderly. Again, they did not explain why the elderly were questioned but I believe it is safe to presume that they were sought to provide insights on the village’s historical memory, that is, which weddings in the village left a mark on the people such that they are still remembered generations later. The data was presented using precise scientific formula which I find rather odd for a sociological research. The authors assign a certain symbol for each factor and create a scientific equation which aims to determine and explain the correlation between these factors. The researchers then focused the results part of their paper in explaining this formula and its results. Towards the end of the paper, I felt like I was reading a scientific paper that is full of scientific symbols and mathematical equations. Admittedly, I rushed through that part for fear that I might get lost in the equation. Indian Weddings vis-à-vis American Weddings Although there are striking differences between the Indian and American weddings, they still share some similar features. In both cultures, people tend to spend a considerable sum of money all in the name of a memorable and dreamy wedding. On the one hand, the bulk of the expenses in Indian wedding celebrations goes to the food and drinks for the revelry where the entire village is invited. On the other hand, in the US, the bulk of the expenses usually goes to the couples’ desire to have a unique wedding which is worthy of a spot in the Guinness Book. The most notable difference is the payment of dowry. In Indian weddings, it is compulsory and a source of honor for families of both the bride and the groom. In stark contrast, the concept of dowry would seem absurd within the context of weddings in the US. The groom would be offended that he is being “bought” while the bride would rather use the money to buy designer bags instead of using it to pay for a husband. In the western culture, it is the man who saves up money to buy a diamond ring and makes the effort to ask the woman to marry him. Another difference is the fact that the concept of courtship seem to be missing in Indian weddings. Unlike in India where weddings are arranged by the parents, pre-arranged weddings are frowned upon by the extremely independent and self-reliant single men and women of the US. Bachelors and bachelorettes make their own effort to find their mate and then save up for their dream wedding. The couple has the time to get to know each other and save up for their future together. The process of courtship also puts man and woman in equal footing. They both have the liberty to decide whether or not to marry the other person. On the contrary, courtship is missing in Indian weddings. The parents of the woman need to make the effort to find a groom for their daughter. Then they negotiate for the dowry. This process makes the groom in an advantaged and sought-after position. Hence, the concept of dowry is made compulsory in order to close a wedding deal. Conclusion India is located halfway around the world from the US. The people there look different, dress differently and speak a different language. They have peculiar customs and traditions which would seem absurd to Americans. The concept of arranged marriages and dowry is foreign and far-fetched. And yet, both cultures share the same penchant for lavish and extravagant weddings. Indeed, people love to show off. Wherever in the world we are, we love to flaunt our material wealth and hear the remarks of admiration from others. Both cultures value public opinion. Both cultures spend conspicuously in order to gain positive public opinion about our financial and social status. I think it is human nature to show off and want to be praised. It is human nature to engage in conspicuous spending. Americans and Indians may be different on a lot of things but we are the same on one very important thing. We are all humans. Read More