Exploring the Stable and Changing Beliefs of Middle Class (Urban) Hindu Couples in New Delhi about Marriage

The objective of this study is to explore the beliefs of middle class urban Hindus (MCUHs) about the meaning and purpose of the institution of marriage, their expectations from marriage, requirements for staying married, any change that they think has come about in the construction of this meaning over the last decade, and the possible reasons for this change. A total of 32 individual semi-structured interviews were conducted (15 couples and two married individuals who were not married to each other) in the participants' homes. All had been married for at least seven years, resided in two middle class neighborhoods of New Delhi, India, and had a collective income ranging between INR 10,000 and 40,000 per month. Qualitative methodology along with the constant comparison method was used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that MCUHs view marriage to be a practical relationship bound by duty, obligation, and responsibility. Pragmatic love characterizes the marriage much more than romantic love. The relationship with the extended in-laws is a very important part of the marital relationship. The purpose of marriage is to continue the family name, and for the wives to go to their "true" home wherein they experience freedom to go "roaming" with their husbands and the pleasures of family life. The participants also described an institution in flux through the influences of formal education, Western thinking, and technological development. In response to these influences marriage is no longer universally believed to be a permanent bond appropriately arranged by the elders of the family.