A critical appraisal of 2 studies on the same subject (see SA 1941/C0712 & C2601), & a comparison (a) with the outcomes of an analysis of 305 advertisements in The Hindustan Times, Feb, 1964, (b) with the results of an earlier analysis (see SA A4998), & (c) with the outcome of res done among F students of the Rajasthan U at Jaipur in 1964 & 1966 (unpublished). Variables taken into consideration were the same in all cases. It is possible to compare the wishes & expectations of parents, as expressed in the advertisements, with those of the girls, as expressed in interviews. Emphasis on caste & dowry in the advertisements & the high % of girls preferring marriage arranged by the parents are indicative of the influence of tradition in a persistently closed marriage system. Both the advertisers & the F students stressed the necessity of high academic qualifications & the ability of earning an income independent of the prospective husband. The increased emphasis on higher educ for girls, as apparent from the advertisements, was explained by the F students as a necessary prerequisite for better marriage chances. AA.
