Page 127 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 17: Divorce, Widowhood and Re-marriage

9. Caste Prohibition: In India, caste has been a strong institutions. Any widow, who remar- Notes
ried had been outcasted. In this manner, caste restrictions too, obstruct widow remarriage.
10. Concept of ‘Sati’: Because of the custom of ‘Sati’, a widow does not opt for remarriage after
the death of her husband.

Favourable Circumstances for Widow Remarriage

At present, the factors which have led to the social acceptance of widow remarriage are as fol-
lows:

1. Arya Samaj and Brahma Samaj: Both Arya Samaj and Brahma Samaj made great initia-
tives for widow remarriage which bore good results.
2. Women’s Campaign: The initiatives taken by women to get their social, religious and finan-
cial status uplifted, too made widow remarriage possible.
3. Expansion of Education: Because of the expansion of education to, there has been change
in he pope’s perspective regarding widow remarriage.
4. Decreasing Effect of Religion: At present, the effect of religion has decreased, following
which, the religious rules are being flouted and thus, widows are getting remarried.
5. Because of the increased social advancement too, youngsters are marrying according to
their choice. In such a situation, if a man falls in love with a widow, he is free to marry her.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
4. Because of the expansion of education, people’s perspective regarding _______ has changed.
5. Many _______ converted to other religions, in order to break free from the miserable life.
6. Many a times, widows _______ too, in order to free themselves from the misery of widow-
hood.

Consequences of Widow Remarriage Prohibition
The prohibition of widow remarriage has led to many ill consequences.
1. The custom of Sati originated because of it.
2. Family conflicts occured and the lives of widow became miserable. They were tortured in
various forms.
3. Many widows converted to Islam or Christianity to breath free from the miserable exist-
ence.
4. Due to lack of obstained life, some widows get into illicit relations, which causes corruption
and increases immorality.
5. Some widow even take to prostitution, due to lack of financial support and sex.
6. To end their ordeal, some widows even end their lives.
In this way, they are responsible for crime in society.

Justification of Widow Remarriages
The following logical explanations justify widow remarriage:

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