Reassessing Inclusion and Exclusion through the Lens of Individual Choice and Intimate Relationships in India

As it is commonly believed that economic development is generally associated with a decline in marriage and fertility rates, the Indian scenario presents a peculiar case. Despite a decreasing fertility rate, marriage remains nearly universal. To explain this phenomenon, I employ a 'studying-up' approach and focus on the Indian urban middle class. This privileged minority is – in a sense – at the margins as it is within this group that a variety of intimate relationships, ranging from one-night stands to arranged marriages, are practiced.

Drawing upon a literature review and extensive long-term ethnographic fieldwork in Delhi and Mumbai, I scrutinize the notion of individual choice, which both challenges and connects the diverse range of intimate relationships mentioned earlier. In popular perception, individual choice is viewed as a symbol of progress, a modern approach, liberation from obsolete traditions, an escape from societal expectations, and the caste system. It is often seen as a tool for promoting inclusion and equality across genders, castes, and classes. However, in my presentation, I reevaluate the reasons why this understanding can be problematic. First, I investigate the conditions in which the notion of individual choice can actually be a strategy for exclusion - maintaining and perpetuating inequalities. Second, I demonstrate the reasons why a decreasing fertility rate and the popularity of marriage can be consistent with each other among the study participants.