AbstractsLaw & Legal Studies

Child Marriage in Bangladesh

by Rie Saalfeldt




Institution: Roskilde University
Department:
Year: 2014
Keywords: Child Marriage; Bangladesh; Mary Douglas; Socio-Cultural Viability Theory; Cultural Theory
Record ID: 1120662
Full text PDF: http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/16090


Abstract

Child marriage is a major health and security concern that still prevails in Bangladesh. The paper attempts to investigate and tries to understand the societal and cultural context of the problem. By applying Mary Douglas’ Socio-Cultural Viability theory and her parsimonious model onto the issue of child marriage in Bangladesh the four major opposing cultural camps are pointed out (Plan Bangladesh, Bangladesh government, the garment factory owners, and the individual Bangladeshi citizen). The paper concludes that since only two of the major camps are working together to fight the practice of child marriage, change can only slowly happen.