Cousin Marriage, Kinship, and Change: An Intergenerational Ethnographic Study Among the Khotta Muslim of West Bengal

The study explores the enduring practice of cousin marriage through a three-generational ethnographic case study of a single extended family from the Khotta Muslim community in West Bengal, India. The study draws attention to family systems and intergenerational transmission theories to examine how kinship norms, religious beliefs, emotional labor, and economic strategies motivate marital choices. Using thematic analysis of in-depth interviews, group discussions, and participant observation, six key themes have emerged: motivations for cousin marriage, adjustment processes, emotional and psychological impacts, awareness of hereditary risks, dependence on consanguinity, and power exercise. Findings reveal that older generations view cousin marriage as a strategy for maintaining familial unity and economic security, while younger members show increasing ambivalence due to emotional and health-related concerns. The study highlights shifting attitudes driven by education and gender awareness and calls for culturally grounded approaches to understanding family and marriage in India.