The Bride Price Marriage System and Its Socioeconomic Impact on Families in Jacobabad

Abstract

This research paper explores the customary practice of bride price marriage and its social significance in Jacobabad. The purpose of the study is to examine the concept of bride price as a symbol of marriage contracts among different communities and to understand families’ attitudes toward this practice. The research also highlights how bride price is socially accepted and supported through cultural norms and marriage laws in society. An exploratory research design was used with both qualitative and quantitative approaches to achieve the objectives of the study. Primary data were gathered via in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, structured interview schedules, and field observations from both urban and rural populations of Jacobabad. The study primarily focused on families from both upper and lower socio-economic strata and local communities. The study was confined to specific regions owing to temporal and resource limitations. The findings help in understanding the growing practice of bride price marriage and its influence on family relationships and social structure

Keywords: Bride Price, Reciprocity Process, Women, Jacobabad, Sindh.