Hearts in tension : marriage practices in change among Indians in Durban, South Africa

Abstract

The dissertation examines how the Indian community in Durban has retained their marriage practices after migrating from India and how they are practiced today. The fieldwork was conducted from January to May 2004. Taking the practice of marriage as the point of reference, this dissertation explores identity among young Indians in South Africa and the modernization of their identities. The dissertation explores the reasons for the decline or reinvention of the practice of arranged marriages. It is further discussed whether the reasons are the need for revival of tradition, practical arrangements or embodied values. The dynamic between individualism and collectivism is revealed through the constant reflexivity of whom and how to marry. Embodied values are discussed as being under constant revaluation of the cognitive mind where culture is enacted. With the underlying basis of the dynamic between individualism and collectivism and through the discussion of the tension between embodied values and the cognitive mind in interaction on identity and arranged marriages, informants show an active part in constructing and reflecting upon their future lives. In this regard, arranged marriages are shown to be a fruitful area in which to research continuity and change in a complex society.