Re: Dowries are stupid in either direction

"Whether some parents are forced to pay someone to marry their daughter like in some 'cultures' or they sell their daughter to someone for a hefty price like other 'cultures' dowries are undeniably stupid and unjust, either to the parents or the groom, and always so to the girl who is treated as chattel by both of the other parties."

No. Dowries are often important and valuable to the bride.

Consider that dowry is often given to the bride instead of her inheriting property from her parents.

In many cultures, dowry is treated as the property of the bride which must be returned to her and her parents if the marriage ends without children by death of either party or divorce, and which she is allowed to control independent of her husband during marriage.

But that is where important differences come in. In some cultures, the dowry is treated as property of the bride and the girl as independent holder of that wealth - whereas in others, the girl is a chattel, the dowry goes to husband and her family who are allowed to use it for their own purposes as they please, and keep it after end of marriage.

Likewise with bridewealth - in some cultures the girl is a chattel and the parents are free to spend her price, in others, the bridewealth is treated as her property.