MarriageWhat is marriage? How do different cultures define it?Marriage is a cultural behavior, but it is universally sharedMarriage1) A culturally approved relationship between two spouses2) Marriage functions to transforms the individual’s status within their cultureWhen you get married you are connected to another personMarriage changes how you view yourself, and how other’s see youIn most cultures marriage is seen as the process of becoming an adult from being a childThere is sometimes a limbo stage between being a child and becoming an adult  during the engagement3) Connects two descent groupsConnecting two kinship groupsA negotiating agreement between two groups, connecting the groups together4) Is always symbolically marked in some wayEX: A wedding ceremony5) Implies certain permitted sexual accessMarriage is also about the exclusion of others6) Establishes legal parenthoodA culturally approved parenthood, in terms of family and kinship descent7) Creates joint propertyThe things you own are owned by both individualsUsually…8) ** Creates a new kinship lineMarriage is about producing children and producing legal parenthood for those childrenMarriage creates new kinship linesMarriageIs NOT always synonymous with matingMarriage is a culturally sanctioned relationshipMarriage is not always about the creation of children and the actual biological mating itselfExamples:Igbo female and female-husband marriageIgbo is a large cultural group in northern AfricaOccurs when a male is never born or male-offspring die before their fatherEldest female become a female-husband, so that the family line/name would continueNuer ghost marriageA man who died before he had children, his wife will marry his spirit (a stand-in) and they will have childrenThe spirit is usually someone related to the dead husbandThey believe that the children from the ghost marriage is the offspring of the spirit not of the stand inMarriage SystemsMonogamySingle spouse marriageMost marriage are monogamousPolygamyMultiple spouse marriageNever the dominate form of marriage, even in places that it does occur2 varieties of polygamous marriagesPolygynyOne husbandMultiple wives marriagePolyandryOne wifeMultiple husbands marriageLeast commonPlural MarriagesWhy do they exist? Why would someone want to be in a polygamous marriage?Plural Marriages:1) Equalize sex ratiosIf there were usually more females than men2) Marrying late in lifeMen can marry later in life, but women usually marry earlier in lifeMen who can support larger families take on more wivesWives are usually much younger than the men3) EconomicsPractical economics of livingMore adults  more people helping out economically4) Political ReasonsThe least common reasonMarriage can be about political alliancesThere is no single reason for polygamous marriagesPolygamous marriage are not always a good thingPolygamous marriage can be related to the abuse of certain types of marriagesWho do you Marry?Incest tabooCultural sanctions against sexual relations with a close relativeA cultural universal?Strict patrilineal groupsKinship descent is only through the male lineIncestRefers to a prohibition of sexual relationsDifferent cultures see the incest taboo in different waysInstinctive horror?We think it gross when people who are related get marriedNot a good explanationBiological degeneration?Weird mutationsNot that good of an explanation eitherAttempt and Contempt?Marry out or die out?Probably the best explanationFor groups to survive you have to extend your social networkCreating more alliancesIncest taboos promote ExogamyExogamy:Practice of seeking a spouse outside of one’s own social and kin groupMarriage outside of a defined social/kin groupEndogamy:Marriage inside a defined social/kin groupEndogamy versus exogamyExogamyMarriage outside of a defined social/kin groupEndogamyMarriage inside a defined social/kin groupExamples:1) Homogamy2) Caste MarriagePeople who marry within their social casteIn India/Pakistan3) Royal MarriagesMarriage as Group AllianceMarriage is often more than a relationship between two individualsIt is about the culture and what the culture thinks of the relationshipIt’s about agreements and alliancesWealth exchange between patrilineal groups:It is an economic agreementTwo types:1) BridewealthEconomic exchange from the husbands family to brides familyHow much the groom gives to the patrilineal group of the brideThis alliance is really hard to breakDivorces rarely occurWhen you dissolve the bridewealth, you have to return the money2) DowryKind of the opposite of a bridewealthA payment made from the brides family to the grooms familyAlso appears in patrilineal societiesIt is a way to give your daughter wealthUsually societies that have low female gender statusDivorceNot common in patrilineal groupsBecause marriages ally groupsDifficult for women to get a divorceBecause of low female gender statusMen can get divorced, but the usually don’tMore common in matrilineal societiesBecause of a high gender status for womenUS society?Is around 50%Contradictory to cultural beliefs, we’ve had a very stable divorce rate starting in the 1980’s← Marriage- What is marriage? How do different cultures define it?- Marriage is a cultural behavior, but it is universally shared- Marriageo 1) A culturally approved relationship between two spouseso 2) Marriage functions to transforms the individual’s status within their culture When you get married you are connected to another person Marriage changes how you view yourself, and howother’s see you In most cultures marriage is seen as the process of becoming an adult from being a child  There is sometimes a limbo stage between being a child and becoming an adult  during the engagement o 3) Connects two descent groups Connecting two kinship groups A negotiating agreement between two groups, connecting the groups together o 4) Is always symbolically marked in some way EX: A wedding ceremony o 5) Implies certain permitted sexual access  Marriage is also about the exclusion of others o 6) Establishes legal parenthood A culturally approved parenthood, in terms of family and kinship descent o 7) Creates joint property The things you own are owned by both individuals Usually…o 8) ** Creates a new kinship line Marriage is about producing children and producing legal parenthood for those children  Marriage creates new kinship lines - Marriageo Is NOT always synonymous