Asian countries have witnessed significant social, political, economic and technological changes over recent decades, albeit from widely differing starting points and at vastly different rates. While similar forces continue to shape changes in Asian societies, including the institution of marriage, sharp differences in marriage patterns and systems persist throughout the region. This conference aims to explore why these differences in marriage endure in light of similar forms of social change across the region. In doing so, the conference aims to foster a more in-depth analysis of marriage. Marriage here is understood to refer more broadly to union formation which can also include both cohabitation and unions which take place without formal marriage ceremonies.
This conference aims to enhance our understanding of the processes at work in marriage and their determinants. It also seeks to investigate changing trends in marriage and the implications they are having upon the societies in which they occur. We invite submissions of papers that consider changes in marriage patterns throughout the Asian region. It is anticipated that these studies will consider issues such as age at and timing of marriage; the arrangement of marriage (considering the spectrum of self-choice to fully arranged); barriers to marriage (including caste, educational homogamy, distorted sex ratios); the influence of technology upon spouse selection; labour market, kinship and other cultural factors that influence marriage. Studies which consider the often-neglected male perspective will be particularly welcome.
Participants are also encouraged to consider one or more of the following question in their paper presentations:
• What are the key forces leading to changing trends in marriage in Asia?
• What forces act to stabilise union formation and arrangement of marriage (including but not limited to kinship systems and cultural norms)?
• What role does cross border marriage play in both responding to and altering marriage patterns and gender relations in Asia?
• What are the implications of rising age at marriage?
• What underpins the persistence of very young age at marriage in some countries despite legal restrictions on minimum age at marriage?
We invite submission from both young and established academics across a range of disciplines, including demography, anthropology, sociology, geography, history and economics. We encourage submissions to consider empirical case studies as well as theorization of marriage trends in the Asian region.
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Paper proposals should include a title, abstract (400 words maximum) and a brief personal biography of 150 words using the Paper Proposal Submission Form found on the event listing. Please send your form to Sharon at [email protected] by 21 May 2012. Successful applicants will be notified by 8 June and will be required to submit a draft paper (approximately 6,000-8,000 words) by 15 October.
