Gender Imbalance, Marriage Squeeze and Multiple Biological Clocks: Exploring Challenges to the Intergenerational Contract in North India

This paper maps the impact of gender imbalance on intergenerational relations in north India. It uses idea multiple biological clocks to understand that and male marriage squeeze have two categories persons: “overage” unmarried sons their aging parents, inter-generational contract between them within family-household. De-linking clock from female body, this demonstrates social understandings bodily progression are equally significant for men, who, Indian context, need marry by a certain age, elderly parents who be cared for. In India, where family-household unit is most important welfare security institution elderly, disruptions household formation due bride shortage caused sex ratio imbalance, subjecting families severe stress. Families with struggle anxieties centred inability arrange marriages sons, questions allocation labor, continuation family line, lack care elderly. Based ethnographic fieldwork explores tensions negotiations concerning fulfillment (or it) against backdrop imbalance. concludes discussing various strategies available crisis involve shame-faced adoption domestic tasks or bringing cross-region brides then provide productive, reproductive, labour.