ANTH 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Isogamy, Patrilocal Residence, Primogeniture
Defining Marriage
A culturally sanctioned union between 2 or more people that
established certain rights and obligations between the couple, their
in-laws, and their community
-
These rights and obligations include sex, child rearing, property,
labour, exchange and status
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Marriage is a cultural institution
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Why do people get married?
Many forms and purposes of the institution - contrary to popular
opinion, marriage has not "always" been one way.
-
Marrying for love is a recent change in the history of marriage - in
most countries, marriage is , and has been, about creating
economic and political alliances. For love is risky.
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Marriage creates formally recognized ties between marriage
partners and their respective families, and any children resulting
from the union are considered "legitimate."
-
Marriage Partners
All cultures have preferences about whom one should and should
not marry or with whom one should and should not have sexual
intercourse.
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Incest taboo - where close kin are off limits as spouses or sexual
partners
Parent - child
○
Brother - sister
Egypt
§
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Cousins
○
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Endogamy - where marriages are contracted within a particular
social group ir locality
Wealth stays within
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Parallel cousins and cross - cousins
○
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Exogamy - where marriage partners must be found outside a
particular group or locality
Wealth can expand
○
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Spouse selection
Hypergyny (marrying 'up'), hypogyny (marrying 'down'),
isogamy (partners are statue equals)
○
Appearance, romantic love, arranged marriages
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Marriage Gifts
Most marriages are accompanied by the exchange of goods or
services between the families
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Two major forms of marital exchange found cross-culturally are
dowry and brideprice
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Dowry is the transfer of family wealth from the bride's side to the
bride and groom at the time of their marriage
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In much of India, more accurately termed groomprice
Goods and money pass not to the couple but to the groom's
family
○
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Brideprice is the transfer of goods or money from the groom's side
to the bride's parents
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Most common in horticultural and pastoralist cultures
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Related to patrilocal residence
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Recognition that the family is losing a daughter's labour and of her
reproductive potential
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Brideservice - transfer of labour
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Rules of Inheritance
Families also control wealth, property, and power through
inheritance rules
-
Inheritance rules have been codified as law in Western countries
for centuries
Primogeniture, in which the eldest son inherited a man's
entire estate
○
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Nonindustrial societies, even those without legal codes, also have
inheritance rules. In such societies, inherited property might
include land, livestock, other foods, or any locally recognized
valuables.
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In any society, inheritance goes to legitimate heirs - often but not
always, these are the children of a socially recognized married
couple.
Another reason why culturally recognized marriages are
important
○
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Forms of Marriage
Monogamy - where a person may only have one spouse at a time
Movement towards serial monogamy? (Married to many
people, but only one at a time)
○
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Polygamy - where a person has more then one spouse
Presence of multiple spouses increases productivity
○
2 kinds:
Polygyny - involves multiple wives
Common on many societies□
Beneficial if large numbers of children are
desired
□
Women share the work□
Can cause an imbalance and jealousy between
wives, children
□
Men without wives
'Lost Boys' of FLDS
"Sons of Perdition" (documentary)
◊
®
□
1)
○
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Polyandry - multiple husbands
Rare□
One explanation for polyandry is that it occurs in
areas where land and resources are scarce
□
2)
Changes in Marriage
Age is rising
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Between people of different nations and ethnicities is rising
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Pluralistic practices
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Marriage crisis
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Cross-cousin marriage: a daughter marries either her father's
sister's son or her mother's brother's son. A son marries with
her fathers sisters father or his mothers brothers daughter
Parallel-cousin marriage: A daughter marries either her
fathers brothers son or her mothers sisters son. A son marries
either hid fathers brothers daughter or hos mothers sisters
daughter
Audio 1
Week 11, Lecture 18
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Document Summary
A culturally sanctioned union between 2 or more people that established certain rights and obligations between the couple, their in-laws, and their community. These rights and obligations include sex, child rearing, property, labour, exchange and status. Many forms and purposes of the institution - contrary to popular opinion, marriage has not "always" been one way. Marrying for love is a recent change in the history of marriage - in most countries, marriage is , and has been, about creating economic and political alliances. Marriage creates formally recognized ties between marriage partners and their respective families, and any children resulting from the union are considered "legitimate. " All cultures have preferences about whom one should and should not marry or with whom one should and should not have sexual intercourse. Incest taboo - where close kin are off limits as spouses or sexual partners. Endogamy - where marriages are contracted within a particular social group ir locality.
