1. 33SHODH, SAMIKSHA AUR MULYANKAN
International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, ISSN 0974-2832, (Print), E- ISSN- 2320-5474, Aug-Oct, 2013 ( Combind ) VOL –V * ISSUE – 55-57
Introduction
Dowry is one of the key social problem of
modern India. With limited financial resources avail-
able, it is becoming increasingly difficult for families,
especially for middle and lower class, to cope with the
burgeoning dowry demands.
AccordingtotheDowryProhibitionAct1961,
dowryhas been defined as anymoneyorgifts received
or given as consideration for the marriage. Besides,
government measures, efforts have also been made by
general public through organising protests against
the dowry system. It is difficult to search out who is
responsiblefor thissocialevil. Butasin Indiamajority
of marriages are arranged by their parents,therefore,
it is usually assumed that parents demand the dowry.
It is also assumed that mainly females are more in
favour of dowry incomparison to males and people of
rural background favour dowry more as compare to
people of urban areas.So it is necessary to know that
is there any effect of gender, locality and education on
the attitude of persons towards dowry system.
Statement ofTheProblem
"A comparative study of the attitude of prospective
teachers towards dowry system in relation to gender
and locality"
Objectivesof TheStudy
The study was conducted to realize the fol-
lowing objectives:
1. To study the attitude of male prospective teachers
towards dowry system.
2. To study the attitude of female prospective teachers
towards dowry system.
3. Tocomparetheattitudeofmaleprospectiveteachers
and female prospective teachers towards dowry sys
tem.
4. To study the attitude of prospective teachers having
rural locality towards dowry system.
5. To study the attitude of prospective teachers having
urban locality towards dowry system.
6. To compare the attitude of prospective teachers
having rural and urban locality towards dowry sys
tem.
Hypotheses
In order to realize the afforesaid objectives
Research Paper - Education
Aug- Oct , 2013
AComparative Study of TheAttitude of Prospective
Teachers Toward Dowry System In Relation To
Gender and Locality
* Dr. Sandeep Berwal
* Assistant Professor,ShivCollegeofEducation,Tigaon(Faridabad)
following null hypothesis were framed :
1. There is no significant difference between the
attitude of male and female prospective teachers
towards dowry system.
2. There is no significant difference between the atti
tude of prospective teachers having rural and ur
ban locality towards dowry system.
MethodologyUsed
In accordance with the nature of the present
study, "Descriptive survey method" was used for the
collection of data. Purposive Sampling was used to
collecttherequiredrelevantdata.DowryAttitudeScale
(DAS)byR.R.Sharma.
StaststcalTechniquesUsed
Statistical techniques like percentage, mean,
S.D. and 't' test were used to analyse the data.
ResultRelatedToTheAttitudeOfMaleProspective
Teachers TowardsDowrySystem
Tablerevealthat36%maleprospectiveteach-
ers have negative attitude towards dowry system. It
means that 36% male prospective teachers disfavour
dowry.
Table 1 Attitude of Male Prospective Teachers towards
Dowry System
Attitude towards Dowry System Percentage
Negative Attitude 36%
Neutral Attitude 38%
Positive Attitude 26%
Tablefurtherrevealsthat26%maleprospectiveteach-
ers have shown positive attitude towards dowry. It
means thatapproximatelyone fourth populationofthe
maleprospectiveteachersfavourthepracticeofdowry
Tableindicatesthat38%ofthemaleprospectiveteach-
ers have shown neutral attitude towards dowry sys-
tem. It means that neither they do favour dowry nor
they do oppose it. Attitude of Female Prospective
Teachers towards Dowry System
Table2
Attitudetowards Dowrysystem Percentage
Negative attitude 38%
Neutral Attitude 36%
Positive Attitude 26%
Table exhibits that 26% female prospective teachers
have shown positive attitude towards dowry. It means

2. 34
International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, ISSN 0974-2832, (Print), E- ISSN- 2320-5474, Aug-Oct, 2013 ( Combind ) VOL –V * ISSUE – 55-57
that these female prospective teachers favour giving
and taking of dowry.These female prospective teach-
ers think that they can be highly placed in society by
taking and givingthe dowry.Alook onthe table further
reveals that only 38 % female prospective- teachers
have shown negative attitude towards dowry. Table
indicates that 36% female prospective teachers have
expressed neutral attitude towards dowry system. It
means that towards dowry their feelings are not very
specific. They seem to be unconcerned towards this
system and are not much worried even if this problem
continues in the society unbridled.
Table 3 indicate that the mean score on atti-
tude of male prospective teachers towards dowry is
225.22 which is greater than the means score on atti-
tude of female prospective teachers towards dowry
systems i.e. 210.62. Table also indicate that the ob-
tained't'value 3.51isgreaterthanthetablevalueat0.01
level and 0.05 level of significance which further re-
veals that there is a significant difference between the
attitude of male prospective teachers and female pro-
spective teachers towards dowry.
Thereforethenullhypothesisno1 isrejectedanditcan
be reframed as, "There is a significant difference be-
tweentheattitudeofmaleandfemaleprospectiveteach-
ers towards dowry system"
Attitude of Prospective Teachers having Rural Local-
ity towards Dowry System
rural locality neither favour nor disfavor the practice
of dowry
The result related to the fifth objective of the study are
given in Table 5.
Attitude ofProspectiveTeachers havingUrban Local-
ity towards Dowry System
Table4
AttitudetowardsDowrysystem Percentage
Negative attitude 36%
Neutral Attitude 40%
Positive Attitude 24%
Table indicates that 24% prospective teach-
ers having rural background exhibit positive attitude
towards dowry. It means that these prospective teach-
ers favour the practice of dowry. These prospective
teachers think that they can get high position in soci-
ety by taking and giving the dowry. Table further
reveals that only 36 % prospective teachers of rural
background have shown negative attitude towards
dowry. Theydo not want this evil practice in society to
continue.They are not in favour of pomp and show of
dowry at the time of marriage.
Tablefurther revealsthat40% prospective teachers of
ruralbackgroundexhibitneutralattitudetowardsdowry
system. It means that these prospective teachers of
Table 5
AttitudetowardsDowrysystem Percentage
Negative attitude 42%
Neutral Attitude 44%
Positive Attitude 14%
Table indicates that 14% prospective teach-
ers having urban background exhibit positive attitude
towards dowry. It means that they favour the practice
of dowry. These prospective teachers consider dowry
as status symbol in the society.
Table further reveals that 42 % of the prospective
teachers have shown negative attitude towards dowry
42% prospective teachers of urban locality have ex-
pressed their neutral attitude towards dowry .
It means that these prospective neither favour nor
disfavor the practice of dowry system prevailing in
modern society . They seem to be unconcerned to-
wardsthissystemandarenotmuchworried evenifthis
problem continues in the society.
Attitude of Rural Prospective Teachers and Urban
Prospective Teachers towards Dowry System
See Table 6
Table 6 indicate that the mean score on atti-
tude of prospective teachers of rural locality towards
dowry is 242.28 which is greater than the means score
on attitude of prospective teachers of urban locality
towardsdowrysystemsi.e.208.74.Thetablealsoindi-
cate that the obtained 't' value 3.27 is greater than the
table value at 0.01 level and 0.05 level of significance
which further reveals that there is a significant differ-
ence between the attitude of prospective teachers
having rural and urban locality towards dowry.
Conclusions
First conclusion drawn by the investigator is
that 38 percent male prospective teachers have neutral
attitude toward dowry system, 36 percent male pro-
spective teachers have negative attitude toward dowry
system where as 26 percent male prospective teachers
have positive attitude toward dowry system.
Second conclusiondrawn bythe investigator is that 36
percent female prospective teachers have neutral atti-
Table3AttitudeofMaleandFemaleProspectiveTeacherstowardsDowrySystem
Gender No. Mean S.D. S.ED 't' values
Male Prospective Teachers 30 225.22 20.82 4.164 3.51*
Female Prospective Teachers 70 210.62

3. 35SHODH, SAMIKSHA AUR MULYANKAN
International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, ISSN 0974-2832, (Print), E- ISSN- 2320-5474, Aug-Oct, 2013 ( Combind ) VOL –V * ISSUE – 55-57
tudetowarddowrysystem,38 percentfemaleprospec-
tive teachers have negative attitude toward dowry
system where as 26 percent female prospective teach-
ers have positive attitude toward dowry system.
Third conclusion drawn by the investigator is that
there is a significant difference between the attitude
ofmaleand femaleprospectiveteacherstowarddowry
system.
Fourth conclusion drawn by the investigator is that 40
percent prospectiveteachershavingrurallocalityhave
neutral attitude toward dowry system, 36 percent pro-
spective teachers having rural locality have negative
attitude toward dowry system where as 24 percent
prospective teachers having rural locality have posi-
Table 6
Locality No. Mean S.D. S.ED 't' values
Rural Prospective Teachers 40 242.28 23.27 4.726 3.27*
Urban Prospective Teachers 60 208.74
*significant at 0.01 and 0.05 level
tive attitude toward dowry system.
Fifth conclusion drawn by the investigator is that 44
percent prospective teachers having urban locality
have neutral attitude toward dowry system, 42 percent
prospective teachers having urban locality havenega-
tive attitude toward dowrysystemwhere as 14 percent
prospective teachers having urban locality have posi-
tive attitude toward dowry system.
Sixth conclusion drawn by the investigator is that
there is a significant difference between the attitude of
prospective teachers having rural and urban locality
toward dowry system.
1. Aurora, S. :"Dowry-Its past, present and future" Social welfare department Vol. 5 No. 5 (August, 1958).
2. Aziz, A. : "Economics of bride-price and dowry", Economics and political weekly, 9 (April, 1983).
3. Berdewich, F/ :"Dowry Deaths : our National shame" Reader's Digest (September, 1988).
4. Farooqui, V. :"Dowry as a means of acquiring wealth and social. Now (Past and Present). 1983. 6(4-5).
5. Kapil, H.K. :"Elements of Statistics (in social sciences)", Vinod Pustak Mandir, Agra, 1994.
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