GAUGING THE IMPACT OF MODERNIZATION ON MARRIAGE INSTITUTION IN SWAT, PAKISTAN: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH

Abstract

Like other societies of the world, Pakistan is also fronting influences of modernization in different walks of life. In most parts of the world, marriage is the central aspect of social structure. This article critically analyses the link between the impacts of modernization on marriage institution in Pakhtun society. The data was obtained from the sampled participants (n=35 In-Depth Interviews & n=07 Focus Group Discussions) of seven tehsils of district Swat. The unit of the study has been divided into different strata like lawyers, literary persons, intellectuals, politicians, and community leaders respectively. Further, different themes & sub-themes were identified followed by the codification of the data and successively analyzed and presented in the form of thematic analysis. The study results revealed that modernization due to its associated facets like education, media (especially social media), technological advancement, urbanization, etc. impacted different aspects of marriage institution e.g. exogamous/endogamous marriages, marriage patterns, marriage types, the practice of Swara marriage, the practice of dowry, Dower, matrimonial endorsement, the wedding halls culture, and the concept of divorce.