Thursday 5 January 2017

Bride price

Should young women's parents accept bride prices?

20 comments:

  1. Hi !
    In the book "the bride price", the parents recieved a bride price in exchange from their daughters.
    I think parents shouldn't accept a bride price. They don't have to win money or anything else from their children. If they breed their daughter it mustn't be for another rason than love. Perhaps if the family is very poor they could accept a bride price but not ask for one. Humans are not products you can buy or sell they don't belong to someone. In some countries it's is like that but I don't think it's a good idea, in this case why parents don't recieve money when their boys are married?
    For my parents shouldn't accept bride price.

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  2. In some countries like Nigeria, women are married in exchange of what is called a bride price, that is to say that the family of the groom has to give a certain amount of money to the family of the bride, depending on the « value » of the young woman. But should the family accept bride prices ?

    First of all, bride prices are traditions and are part of the culture of the country. The inhabitants are used to these customs and they are certainly meaningful for them. Although we can't understand some traditions because they might seem barbaric to us, we have to be tolerant when it comes to our differences.

    However, in this case, the tradition should not be accepted. Bride prices indeed vindicate a violation of human rights, as young women are being considered like objects that their families can sell. If parents had any sort of respect for their children, they shouldn't let them be bought. This custom is actually reminiscent of slavery.

    To conclude, although it is a tradition, parents shouldn't accept bride prices because it simply isn't right.

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  3. In the world, every country has his own customs but in certain, those are more important then in others. Like in Nigeria were everytime a men wants to marry a women he has to give her family a "bride price". The legends tell that if you don't respect this tradition you will be cursed.

    I think this custom is very reductive and doesn't play in favor of sexual equality. In my opinion it isn't fair that boys should give money for marrying someone when women doesn't. Nobody should have to give money to marry somebody anyway and they should marry who they love and not being forced to live with the best match.

    I understand that those traditions are sacred for these people but it is maybe time to change a few things around the world if we want equity for every human being.

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  4. Sorry : in exchange for/they don't have to be paid or they don't have to receive something else in exchange for their children/If they have children and raised them, it should only be for love.

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  5. In Nigeria parents of a young man must pay a bride price to the parents' future bride. The price can be very expensive but it depends the bride. This tradition is really important.

    Some people think that if the price is not paid, the woman will die at the birth of her first child. In the book "The bride price", Aku-nna's uncle did not accept the bride price and at the end Aku-nna finally died. It may be seen as an exemple however according to other people it is just a health problem. In Europe people don't pay prices anymore and women can marry who they want without their parents' agreement. In Africa too, where the customs play a big role, some parents don't accept bride prices. They think the marriage of her daughter doesn't depend on money but on love. Nevertheless this tradition won't disappear that fast.

    As far as I'm concerned parents should not accept bride prices because they really affect women's lives and don't give them the chance to choose their own husband. If they stop accepting them it would give young girls their freedom back.

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  6. In many African countries the bride price is very wide-spread and the single girls do not stay him for a long time because to be a single girl in Africa is badly seen by the population.For it the parents of future bride and of the future husband meet in the presence of young people and it is that the price of the bride is evoked and set up.
    Unfortunately, in bride price neither the bride nor the husband really know each other and are very often young. We do not ask them their notices or their choices and it little thus to become as a forced marriage.
    More the girls are rarely informed about their sexuality and that of her future husband what often brings to an unwanted pregnancy and to have very young children without having of experiences and of helps on behalf of their family or of their companion.
    That's why the parents should not accept bride price because it do not cause happiness for the newlyweds, there are especially a lot of constraint and disadvantages.

    Fanny Gallezot 1ereL1

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  7. In class, we worked on a book called "The Bride price", written by Buchi Emecheta. This book is about a young woman, Aku-nna, who fell in love with Chike, eventhough her family didn't want her to marry him. In this country, the family's bride received a bride price when the bride married a man. Her uncle didn't want her to marry Chike, so he refused the bride price Chike's father wanted to give to him. Should he accepted ? Should the women's parents accept bride prices ?

    Bride prices are very importants for some families, because in some countries, the familes haven't enough money to pay children education. The most expensive the bride price is, the better would be the children education. But, even if the bride price is important, families shouldn't pay for love.
    For example, Aku-nna loved Chike, and the members of her family didn't do anything but put themselves between us. If the bride price wasn't mentionned, Aku-nna and Chike could have been happy, with their family. Every women should love the person they marry,without even thinking of bride price.

    To conclude, I think that bride prices, even if they are importants for some families, are not good for brides, because they can't choose the one they will marry, and I find horrible to spend a whole life with someone you don't love and who doesn't love you either.

    Elisa ETCHEGARAY 1L1

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  8. Every country has his own traditions. Some countries have for tradition that the man has to ask the bride's father her hand, other countries mostly have arranged weddings, and some countries have for tradition that the man's family has to offer a bride price to the bride's family. A bride price is an amount of money that the husband's family gives away to the bride's family depending on what the young girl is worth. The bride's family usually accepts the best offer. The offers start once the young girl has her first periods which means she is a woman. I will now express my point of view about if young women's parents should accept or not bride prices.

    First of all traditions are very important for a lot of family's. Families who don't follow traditions can be banned from villages in some countries or their reputation can be deteriorated, they can then be mocked by their neighbors and so on. For example in Nigeria the more a family has money the more the head of the family is respected. And a bride price can bring a lot of money to a family.

    Anyway I do not think that parent's should use their daughters to gain money. The look that other people have on them should not influence the love and their respect that they have for their daughter. Their daughter isn't just a piece of meat that you can sell to anyone for the best price! Their daughter is a human being. And I do not think that there is any acceptable price for a human. And a man shouldn't buy love but earn it.

    Finally I can understand that people are raised with these traditions so they follow them naturally but I think that people should try and go pass these traditions with time.

    Oisin MAGUIRE MONDOLONI 1èreL

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  10. Some time ago the pride price was a very widespread and generally accepted practice, with this groom showed the family of his bride he is able to aliment the family and that he is not poor. In addition I want to notice that most of marriages were contracted by parents who very often made their children to marry because of different benefits those it can bring to them.
    Nowadays in most countries this practice has almost disappeared ,it’s still exists in some African, island countries and in those where old traditions still play an important role in the society. In my own opinion women's parents should not accept bride prices because it give a sense that their daughter was sold like an object but not as a person, being with feelings and its own thoughts.

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  11. Hello !

    The tradition of giving brie price is practiced in many Asian countries, parts of Africa and in some Pacific Island societies. The amount changing hands may range from a token to continue the traditional ritual, to many thousands of US dollars in some Thai marriages, and as much as a 100,000 $ in exceptionally large bride prices in parts of Papua New Guinea where bride price is customary.

    To my mind I don't think that young women's parents should accept bride prices even if it's a tradition because it is like to sell your daughter to her husband ( like a slave ) and it can affect the atmosphere in the family. It is very reductive and unequal. However many families are poor and wants bride price but I don't think it is a good idea to earn money. Like Elisa said every women should love the person they marry, without even thinking of bride price.

    To finish I hope that this kind of " tradition " will stop quickly because the most important in life isn't money but happiness.

    Clara Latella 1S4

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  12. Hi everyone !
    To begin with , bride prices exist for many years now and it's a tradition . In France , there aren't bride prices anymore ( or it's not frequent ) . However , in some poor countries the tradition is still a must . As for me , I don't think it's a good thing because it's like you sell your daughter to a family whereas his future husband is able to marry someone for love , not for money . Furthermore , it's a bad relationship between the parents of both , based on money and I hate this .
    To conclude , the parents shouldn't accept bride prices because it's not respectful for the girls .
    Lena Szepetowski , 1S4

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  13. Bride price is a Book which talks about old Nigerian traditions and I think these things should stay in the past.We have to live with our time and of course parents should not accept bride price a women is not an object a women is a human being who deserve to be treated with respect as much as men because they're equal.Women are independent,they should be able to make decisions and be with who they want be.Besides parents mustn't accept bride price because women (even men ) are not defined by a price they don't "cost " anything if they marry someone it's because they like them, because they have respect for each other not because the other person gave money to possessed the other one that's not love.To conclude I would say that these kinds of traditions should stay behind us and no matter what the price is "love will always find a way".

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  14. Bride price is a Book which talks about old Nigerian traditions and I think these things should stay in the past.We have to live with our time and of course parents should not accept bride price a women is not an object a women is a human being who deserve to be treated with respect as much as men because they're equal.Women are independent,they should be able to make decisions and be with who they want be.Besides parents mustn't accept bride price because women (even men ) are not defined by a price they don't "cost " anything if they marry someone it's because they like them, because they have respect for each other not because the other person gave money to possessed the other one that's not love.To conclude I would say that these kinds of traditions should stay behind us and no matter what the price is "love will always find a way".

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  15. In some parts of the Pacific or in Africa, the bride has a "price": for example a payment of money or oxen ... this practice makes it possible to legitimize filiation and children.
    I am very divided because I think like girls educated in France with a minimum of money and independence for the marriage, but we mustn't forget that it gives money to the family and we're talking instead of people who aren't sure about eating everyday ...
    What I don't understand is why these prices are set only for girls and not for boys ... I find it very unfair and this again proves that men and women are not equal!

    To conclude, we can't blame the families who accept this tradition but personally I could never accept to "sell" my daughter or a person of my family for money even if I was not very rich, because it's still a lack of respect for the person, it isn't part of my traditions and that marriage is still a serious commitment that must be based on love, not on money.

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  16. In my opinion bride prices is a very bad thing. I mean it's sell the women like an object and it's a very degrading thing for the women. Furthermore I think that the couple won't have a good relation because they don't know each other, the woman was just sell to the man. To finish the parents shouldn't accept that because it mean they prefer money than the happiness of their daughter.
    Salomé Courtecuisse 1S4

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  17. Hello,
    First, bride price are an old tradition and I think it's a bad one. With bride price you use women as things that you buy. Furthermore , it's a bad relationship between the parents of both , based on money and that's not how I see a wedding.

    Jacques Krzymuski 1s4

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  18. Hello !
    In my opinion, bride prices are very degrading for women and for the wedding itself, it puts the woman on a bad place, as if her family was selling her and as if she couldn't choose herself. The husband "buy" the woman. But actually, even if it still exists in some country, it was an old tradition that didn't mean that it was a forced wedding. Some traditions in our actual society will probably be unbelivable for futur generations.

    HANA AYED 1ES2

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  19. Hi!

    First of all, a wedding should mean only love and mutual support. No one should be forced to marry anyone! Parents have to learn that a girl is not a thing you need to get rid of!
    Women need to have access to education and to work in every part of the world in order to win their own money instead of waiting for a man to whom they can be offered.
    Coline Chataing

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