Education, International Travel, and Marriage on Change in Attitudes Toward Ideal Marriage Age in Nepal

• In Event: 054 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 13. Marital Timing and Intermarriage

Abstract

Using data from an eighteen-year panel study of social context and family life, this paper assesses changes in attitudes regarding ideal marriage timing in Nepal. From the mid-1990s to mid-2000s, attitudes become more supportive of later marriage timing for both men and women. At the individual level, education, both early on and throughout the life course, and travel outside Nepal contribute to preferences for later marriage, while being married predicts earlier marriage preferences. Findings shed light on the determinants of attitude change in a context of rapid social change, suggesting the importance of the spread of new ideas, through both education and international travel, and one’s own experiences.

Author

• Ellen Compernolle, University of Michigan