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Parents’ Valuation of Approving a Child’s Spouse in a Context of Marital Change

Tue, August 15, 8:30 to 10:10am, Palais des congrès de Montréal, Floor: Level 5, 513A

Abstract

In many places, arranged marriage is declining and young people are becoming more active in choosing their own spouses. Past research on spouse choice in these contexts usually focuses on the schemas and behavior of young people getting married. In this paper, however, I turn the focus squarely on parents of marriageable, but not yet married, young people in Nepal. I examine whether a substantial proportion of these parents do not value approving their children’s spouse and investigate which parents value such approval less than others. Specifically, I evaluate whether parents’ values and beliefs about marriage and intergenerational relations, the quality of the relationship with their child, their own marital experiences, belief in strategic tradeoffs, and children’s potential independence are important correlates of their valuation of spouse approval. I also examine whether these connections differ by gender of parents and their children.

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