RESEARCH NOTES ON THE FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN SEMERI

The ecology, culture, soc org, kinship org, & marriage customs of Semeri, a small village in India, are examined. A kinship terminology in bhojpuri language is presented. Agri'al exploitation in the village is based on the joint fam system. The lay-out of the village shows a division into an area for the upper & another area for the lower castes. The customs of courtship & marriage are described. Marriage is a contract arranged by the parents of the spouses. Marriage consists of 2 main rituals: the shadi or engagement, which often takes place when the spouses are still small children; & the auna, which may take place months or yrs later, when the spouses are finally allowed to see each other & the marriage is consumated. Each caste has its own variation of the 2 rituals. The auna is occasion for greater festivities than the shadi. Annulment is possible & may be granted by the panchayat, as long as the auna has not yet taken place. The dowry is then paid back to the girl's parents. The prohibition of child-marriage & of the dowry by India's Parliament after independence has put considerable pressures on the traditional marriage customs. In the Ru regions, the lower castes are still resisting these changes. The recent Sanscritization movement among the lower castes aims at a return to the pure Arian traditions. The upper castes, on the other hand, are adopting Western customs. These 2 opposing currents & their influence on soc change in India should be studied in detail. M. Maxfield.