ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the example of marriage arrangement in Tamil Nadu to describe some of the social changes occurring among India's urban middle classes, a socioeconomic segment that is projected to become three-quarters of the country's urban population by 2025. When considering arranged marriage and the changes it is undergoing in South Asia, it is crucial to note cultural conceptions of womanhood and gender roles topics that undergird how marriage has been and continues to be perceived and performed. In order to appreciate the social change partially inspired by this economic revolution one must first consider what are locally known to be traditional marriage practices of the past. The Dravidian linguistic group is often associated with a specific Dravidian culture, which traditionally encourages a girl's endogamous caste marriage with her cross-cousin or her mother's brother. In addition to communicating a middle-class family's familiarity with modernity cardstock invitations are also used to highlight the family's caste affiliation and its unique culture.
