Intimate Others:
Marriage and Sexualities in India
Although the challenge to the hegemonic status of the institution of marriage in India is
grabbing the limelight in popular media, it has received comparatively less
attention in the social sciences. This path-breaking collection presents an
analysis of marriage from historical, social, cultural, psychological and legal
perspectives. Some of the essays argue that marriage continues to retain its
prime overwhelming importance in reproducing the social order and its claim to
be the only legitimate structure of the family rather than one among many.
Nevertheless, changes wrought by globalization, by information technology and
by the increasing social visibility of queer life forms and practices have had
considerable impact on the homogeneous imagination of the ‘Indian family’, with
the traditional marriage system as its base.
The essays in this collection look beyond the institutional framework of
marriage to critique the structures of our everyday lives and to explore new
horizons and possibilities in the domain of the intimate.
Published by: Stree
Edited by Samita Sen,
Ranjita Biswas and Nandita Dhawan
demy octavo pb 482pp
ISBN 978-81-960760-1-4 Rs 450 Published Jan 2011
Although the challenge to the hegemonic status of the institution of marriage in India is
grabbing the limelight in popular media, it has received comparatively less
attention in the social sciences. This path-breaking collection presents an
analysis of marriage from historical, social, cultural, psychological and legal
perspectives. Some of the essays argue that marriage continues to retain its
prime overwhelming importance in reproducing the social order and its claim to
be the only legitimate structure of the family rather than one among many.
Nevertheless, changes wrought by globalization, by information technology and
by the increasing social visibility of queer life forms and practices have had
considerable impact on the homogeneous imagination of the ‘Indian family’, with
the traditional marriage system as its base.
The essays in this collection look beyond the institutional framework of
marriage to critique the structures of our everyday lives and to explore new
horizons and possibilities in the domain of the intimate.
The
collection is divided into four Parts: I
‘Historicizing Marriage: Marriages Are
Made in Scriptures’, II ‘Contextualizing Marriage: Class, Caste, Masculinity
and Violence’, III Representing Marriage: Sex, Conjugality and Videotapes’, and
IV ‘Recasting Marriage.: Singlehood, Coupledom and Intimate Others’.
Samita Sen is
director, Ranjita Biswas is lecturer
and Nandita Dhawan project
coordinator, School of Women Studies, Jadavpur University.
Contributors: Janaki Abraham, Aparna
Bandyopadhya, Geetika Bapna, Hardik Brata Biswas, Ranjita Biswas, Aishika Chakraborty,
Prem Chowdhry, Nandita Dhawan, Diya Dutta, Swati Ghosh, Nishi Mitra, Navaneetha
Mokkil, Madhurima Mukhopadhyay, Pooja Nair, Ranjana Padhi, Rekha Pappu, Samita
Sen and Neelanjana Sengupta.
Enquiries: 16 Southern Ave, Calcutta 700026 tel:033 2466 0812/ 033 6519 5737
email streesamya.manager@gmail.com website: www.stree-samyabooks.com
Review:
'The traditional image of the ‘Indian family’ has been
disrupted by the growing influence of globalization and information technology,
as well as by the increased “social visibility” of homosexual relationships and
other forms of intimacy. The institution of marriage has also acquired
explosive political significance in recent years. This collection of essays
also takes into account factors that have challenged the “hegemonic status” of
this institution in Indian society.'
The Telegraph, 4 March 2011
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