Assignment in Geography

Bride Kidnapping and the Role of Women in Kyrgyzstan

Directions: Cut and paste the following URL into your internet browser.  This will bring up the video associated with the following questions.  Once at the PBS website click on the "Watch Video" link.  Answer the following questions as completely as possible .

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/kyrgyzstan/

1. How did various women shown in the video respond to the practice of bride kidnapping? (Be sure to discuss the behaviors of the potential brides, the mothers of the potential brides and the women in the potential groom's family.)
2. Why did some women support and others reject the practice of bride kidnapping?
3. What role does peer pressure play in the tradition of bride kidnapping, for both the bride and groom?
4. What happens to the kidnapped brides who refuse to go along with the wedding?
5. Should bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan be considered a human rights violation or a complex cultural tradition that Westerners simply don't understand?
6. What power do culture and tradition have in the persistence of bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan?
7. What geographic, social and economic conditions influence this practice?