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India Human Development Survey- II Education and Health Questionnaire: Marital Norms and Practices

Marital Norms and Practices uses 7 self-reported items from the second round of the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS) Education and Health Questionnaire. IHDS is a nationally representative, multi-dimensional survey conducted across India. This measure captures aspects of marital norms and practices existent in communities, including considerations of caste and exchange of assets between families. Navigational aspects (i.e. skip-out patterns and next question sequences) have not been included on this page but can be viewed on the original questionnaire here.

Categories

Geographies Tested: India

Populations Included: Female

Age Range: Adolescents, Adults

Items:

1. Now, I would like to ask you some questions about marriage customs in your community (jati) for a family like yours? Is it permissible ....

  • … to marry a girl in her natal village?
  • … to marry a girl to her cousin?
  • … for a widow to remarry?

Response Options:
No
Yes
Don't Know

2. Do you know anyone in your community jati who has

  • … had an intercaste marriage?
  • … been divorced?

Response Options:
No
Yes
Don't Know

3. At the time of a boy's marriage, how much money is usually spent by the boy's family?

PROBE TO GET THE AMOUNT FOR A TYPICAL WEDDING. TRY TO GET ONE NUMBER, BUT ACCEPT A RANGE IF THAT IS WHAT IS GIVEN.

Response Options:
________ [Between Rupees]
________ [To Rupees]

IF ONLY ONE AMOUNT IS GIVEN, ENTER SAME NUMBER IN BOTH FIELDS.

4. At the time of a girl's marriage, how much money is usually spent by the boy's family?

PROBE TO GET THE AMOUNT FOR A TYPICAL WEDDING. TRY TO GET ONE NUMBER, BUT ACCEPT A RANGE IF THAT IS WHAT IS GIVEN.

Response Options:
________ [Between Rupees]
________ [To Rupees]

IF ONLY ONE AMOUNT IS GIVEN, ENTER SAME NUMBER IN BOTH FIELDS.

5. Typically at wedding (largest event of the wedding, say reception), how many people are invited for dinner or lunch by the bride's and groom's family?

Response Options:
________ [Girl's side]
________ [Boy's side]

6. Generally in your community for a family like yours, what are the kind of things that are given as gift at the time of the daughter's marriage?

  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Land
  • Car
  • Scooter or motorcycle
  • TV
  • Fridge
  • Mobile phone
  • Furniture
  • Pressure cooker
  • Utensils
  • Mixer or Grinder
  • Bedding Mattress
  • Watch
  • Bicycle
  • Sewing machine
  • Livestock (such as cows, buffalo etc.)
  • Washing machine
  • LPG
  • FlatHouse
  • Computer Laptop

Response Options:
RarelyNever
Sometimes
Usually

7. [IF CASH] How much?

Response Options:
________ [Between Rupees]
________ [To Rupees]

IF ONLY ONE AMOUNT IS GIVEN, ENTER SAME NUMBER IN BOTH FIELDS.

Scoring Procedures

Not Applicable

Original Citation

Desai, S., & Vanneman, R. (2015). India Human Development Survey-II (IHDS-II). Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. https://doi. org/10.3886/ICPSR36151. v6.


Psychometric Score

Ease of Use Score

Scoring breakdown

Formative Research

Qualitative Research

Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework

Field Expert Input

Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing

Reliability

Internal

Test-retest

Interrater

Validity

Content

Face

Criterion (gold-standard)

Construct

KEY

Ease of Use

Readability

Scoring Clarity

Length

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