NETTING IN NEPAL - SOCIAL-CHANGE, THE LIFE-COURSE, AND BRIDESERVICE IN SANGILA

The links among family characteristics, pre-marital experiences organi zed outside the family, and participation in choice of spouse are now well established for historical transformations in a range of social s ettings. Less examined are the consequences of these changes for subse quent inter-familial relationships in societies where marriage organiz es kin alliances and interfamilial labor obligations. Using survey and ethnographic data gathered in Nepal, this paper examines the implicat ions of change in work living experiences, and the marriage process fo r subsequent inter-familial relationships exemplified by cross-cousin marriage and the provision of brideservice. Hypotheses are developed w hich consider the impact of community context on these behaviors; thes e are tested in logistic regression analyses for the first marriages o f all 430 ever-married women in the community. Cross-cousin marriage a nd brideservice are shown to be related to prior familial characterist ics, life-course experience, and elements of the marriage process in w ays that are significantly conditioned by community history and proxim ity to urban centers.