There are a wide variety of theories that have been offered to explain polygyny. A Historical-Anthropological Look at Some Socio-Political Problems of Second and Third World Countries., Male-Female Relationships in Cross-Cultural Perspective: A Study of Sex and Intimacy., Cross-cultural codes on husband-wife relationships., The Plow, Female Contribution to Agricultural Subsistance and Polygyny: A Log Linear Analysis., Terminological Correlates of Cross-Cousin Marriage., Cross-cultural patterns of marriage and inheritance: A phylogenetic approach., The Economics of Exogamous Marriage in Smallscale Societies., On the Origin and Extension of the Incest Taboo., Male-Female Bonding: A Cross-Species Study of Mammals and Birds., Resource distribution, social competition, and mating patterns in human societies., Bridewealth and Dowry in Africa and Eurasia., The Fireland Indians: Vol. 1969. This is still frowned upon in societies that are highly stratified, such as those with rigid caste systems. Maria has taught University level psychology and mathematics courses for over 20 years. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. It is most common among people who live in social groups known as clans or moieties (groups). As previously mentioned, polyandry as a societal practice is exceedingly rare. Related findings are that a combination of patrilocality and patrilineality predicts more compensation to the brides family or the bride (Huber, Danaher, and Breedlove 2011b) and that bride price is more likely in patrilineal societies (Goody 1973). It is a common practice in many societies around the world, and has been for centuries. Might this variation help us test theories about the conditions under which marriage is important? Symmetrical cross-cousin marriage is somewhat more likely when economic transactions at marriage (such as bride price or dowry) are absent. Claude Lvi-Strauss introduced the "Alliance Theory" of exogamy,[12] that is, that small groups must force their members to marry outside so as to build alliances with other groups. Why couldnt two women cooperate? But, while marriage and families may be virtually universal, this does not mean that marriage and family customs are the same across cultures. In contrast, in socially simpler societies, the entire population of able-bodied men may be expected to be warriors.6. Some men will be unmarried, some men will only have one wife, and some will be currently monogamous but marry polygynously later. Put simply, its the practice of marrying outside of ones social group. The belief that a child can have more than one biological father. Munck, Victor de, and Jennifer McGreevey. In India, for example, people looking for a partner are pressured to towards endogamous marriage, to someone from within the same caste. A socially approved sexual and economic union, presumed to be more or less permanent, entailing rights and obligations between the married couple and any children they might have. Ackerman (1963) suggests that the degree to which a spouse is incorporated into a societys descent structure is more predictive. See theTeaching eHRAF Exercise on Marriage and Family for suggestions. criminality Polygynous societies appear to have responded to jealousy with certain common customs and rules that include: having separate quarters and kitchens for nonsororal co-wives, having rules about husbands sharing resources equitably, and having rules for sleeping with co-wives in rotation (C. R. Ember, Ember, and Peregrine 2019, 245). Thus, persons may be expected to marry outside their totem clan(s) or other groups, in addition to outside closer blood relatives. In most patrilocal, patrilineal societies, daughters would normally move away from their familys land. That marriage in which all the blood relatives and members of the same kinship are prohibited to marry one another. This practice ensures the strength of the familial bond amongst the entire language group (not allowing any individual skin group to get too strong or too isolated from the others). Substantial transactions make it more difficult to marry which increases the impetus to practice stealing a bride (although sometimes this is with her approval). Exogamy is a widely practiced marriage custom whereby individuals marry outside of their social group. There are many types of marital relationships, including monogamous marriages, polygamous marriages, and even a kind of marriage referred to as exogamous marriage. Yes. Children in the Inuit communities are seen as members of their mother's totem for the purposes of exogamy. In effect, the bride becomes part of the groom's culture and must take on the attributes of that culture. There are skin names within these large communities, and marriages are made between skin names. Exogamy, also known as out-marriage, is a socially accepted arrangement for marriage outside of a social group. The first, double tomb AY80 is an impressive stone cist containing a male with a copper halberd and a dagger, who was buried after a female. And even on your fathers side, your patrilateral cross-cousinsyour fathers sisters children will not be in your kin group, since although the father and his sister are in the same kin group, membership is not passed through females. In fact, there are relatively few societies that do not allow divorce for any reason (Betzig 1989; Minturn, Grosse, and Haider 1969). In such ceremonies, males are often asked to demonstrate their masculinity by showing little pain during genital surgeries or in special tests of fortitude. Lee, Gary R., and Lorene Hemhill Stone. Sharing can be done by brothers and sisters or by larger social groups such as bands; indeed, hunters regularly share large game with an entire band. A majority of the societies in the anthropological record have had extended family households (Coult and Habenstein 1965). Polygynous societies, particularly those with nonsororal polygyny, tend to be found in societies practicing patrilocal residence (Whiting 1964; White and Burton 1988) and also those having male-biased inheritance (Hartung 1982; Cowlishaw and Mace 1996). The Nayar were a subcaste in India. Exogamy is usually defined through kinship rather than ethnicity, religion, or class. But more importantly, two women are likely to have twice as many mouths to feed and care for. Finally, the sexual competition argument points to the greater conflict among human males as compared to non-human primates. 1974. Divorce, or the severing of marital ties, is found in the vast majority of societies in the anthropological record. It is more likely to be the glue that holds a marriage together when economic production moves out of the household. the higher the status of females in society (Pearson and Hendrix 1979). exogamy is exogamic exogamousadj. exogamyn.[] exomis exosmosisn Explore some texts and do some comparisons using theeHRAF World Culturesdatabase. Exogamous marriage or exogamy is the custom of marrying outside a specified group of people to which a person belongs. Biological exogamy is marriage of nonblood-related beings, regulated by forms of incest law. During this time she mainly grinds corn, signifying a symbolic payment of service to the grooms mother for her son. Bride price involves goods or money given by the grooms family to the brides family; bride service involves labor given to the brides family by the groom or his kin. Burton, Michael L., and Karl Reitz. Definition of Endogamy Marriage. (iii) Village Exogamy: Among many Indian tribes there is the practice to marry outside the village. 2007. Pasternak, Burton, Carol R. Ember, and Melvin Ember. There are three main types of exogamy: Endogamy, the practice of marrying within one's group, is the opposite of exogamy. [citation needed], Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 09:11, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "An association between the kinship and fertility of human couples", "Comment on "An association between the kinship and fertility of human couples", "Population admixture, biological invasions and the balance between local adaptation and inbreeding depression", "The effect of inbreeding on early childhood mortality: twelve generations of an Amish settlement", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Exogamy&oldid=1141878744, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 09:11. It is likely that originally exogamy evolved as a way to reduce competition among members of the same social group for mates and ensured that individuals had a larger pool of potential mates to choose from. Strengthening of the genetic pool, thus reducing birth defects. What accounts for the allowance of first cousin marriage? In addition, while extended families are associated with agriculture and sedentariness, the associations are very not very strong (Pasternak, Ember, and Ember 1976). Of those societies allowing cross-cousin marriage, symmetrical cross-cousin marriage (with both sets of cross-cousins) is much more common than asymmetrical cross-cousin marriage (one side of the family). The marriage would be practiced outside one's group, class or caste. Such lineages may in turn be grouped into clans or moieties. medieval By exchanging spouses between groups, individuals were able to forge alliances and build relationships with members of other groups. They should also show appreciation and kindness towards each other. Endogamy and exogamy are the two main rules that condition marital choice. In fact, in a survey of societies in eHRAF World Cultures, they found 53 societies outside of the classic polyandry areas (northern India, Nepal, Tibet and the Marquesas) that appear to practice either informal polyandry or formal polyandry. Why? The opposite of exogamy is endogamy. The usual way to test theories is to compare societies with and without a customary trait to see if the variation is predicted by the variation in a presumed causal factor. type of marriage limited to only one spouse at any given time. Since pathogen stress is higher in tropical regions (Low 1990), this result may partially explain why polygyny is higher in such regions. But recognition does not necessarily mean an elaborate ceremony. low emphasis on love as a basis for marriage (Hull 1989). Marriage outside this group is exogamy. Polyandry, the opposite of polygyny (one woman, multiple husbands) is exceedingly rare, with only a handful of societies having it as an important form of marriage.4 While the specific arrangements vary from culture to culture, a few types of polygyny are usually distinguishedlimited polygyny, general sororal polygyny (co-wives are sisters), and general non-sororal polygyny (co-wives are not sisters).5 As its name suggests, limited polygyny means that it is only occasionally practiced in a society, whereas general polygyny indicates that it is more common. They have a Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Arts in Human Factors Psychology from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Flagler College. Sex ratios favoring females (M. Ember 1974; Barber 2008). Extended family households range from small two-unit families, to large families with 3-4 generations of related individuals. Outbreeding: the practice of breeding between individuals who are not closely related. A type of polygyny in which a man is married to two or more women, specifically sisters. Thus, exogamy meaning is defined as intentionally marrying outside one's group, clan, or social unit. The Inuit assign totem names to each half of the moiety. Why? 2011a. Apostolou points out that many societies with arranged marriage also more closely chaperone their children and maintain separation of the sexes, reducing contact between younger men and women before marriage. Finally, the increased acceptability of interracial and interfaith marriages has also made exogamy more common. Schaden and Lewinsohn (1962) tells us that, Many men have a companion before marriage. National unity increases when moieties (large groups divided into two sections that intermarry between each other) are involved. One example of exogamy can be found in the Hindu caste system in India. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. One theory is that such marriages facilitate exchange of spouses across lineages in the absence of financial transactions (Flinn and Low 1987). Why? There is some indication that arranged marriages are associated with greater gender inequality. First, there is a double standard, with more tolerance of premarital and extramarital sex for men than for women. Cultural exogamy is marrying outside a specific cultural group; the opposite being endogamy, marriage within a social group. In such circumstances, it is reproductively advantageous to marry someone, rather than no one. Preference for fathers brothers daughter marriage (patrilateral parallel cousin marriage) preference is more likely in patrilocal societies (Flinn and Low 1987). The marriage would be practiced outside ones group, class or caste. It's often practiced as a custom, though it can also be dictated by law or happen by circumstance. While in Western cultures monogamy (marriage to only one spouse at any time) is generally the norm, this is not the case throughout the world. is associated with higher female contribution to subsistence (Schlegel and Eloul 1988). This distinction mostly matters in societies with patrilineal or matrilineal descent because in such societies one set of parallel cousins is in your own kin group, while cross-cousins are generally not. Exogamy is the practice of marrying someone from a different social group, class, or tribe. Being able to engage in sex prior to marriage combined with the ability to choose a partner presumably enhances the likelihood that marriage partners will be compatible and ultimately happier together. is associated with bride theft (Ayres 1974). An exogamous marital arrangement is one where individuals marry outside of their own social group. These relate to the degree to which the wife and husband are dependent upon each other for reproductive and economic success. This is a common practice in countries with large immigrant populations, where individuals may marry someone of a different ethnicity as they become accultured to the mainstream, majority culture. Human Relations Area Files, Inc. (HRAF) is an internationally recognized organization in the field of cultural anthropology. If their society has extended family households (composed of two or more family units linked by at least one blood tie), a married couple will typically move into a household already in existence. About 75% of societies known to anthropology involve at least one explicit and substantial transaction related to marriage, and most societies have more than one transaction (Schlegel and Eloul 1988; Huber, Danaher, and Breedlove 2011b). In gift exchange, the kin groups of the bride and groom give each other gifts of about equal value. Genomic transformation and social organization during the Copper Age-Bronze Age transition in southern . Indeed, there is tremendous variability in almost every aspect of marriage, from the rules surrounding whom one can and cannot marry, how marriage is arranged, how couples get married, how many people can be married at a time, how long marriages last, and what conditions allow a marriage to be dissolved. Second, other sexual rules could be invented, such as rules regulating rotation of partners. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Ember, Carol R., Melvin Ember, and Peter N. Peregrine. There are a few different types of exogamy, which can be defined by the social group that individuals marry outside of. Some societies frown on cousin marriage so much that even distant cousins are forbidden. While first cousin marriage may have higher risk of offspring carrying harmful double recessive genes, severe population loss makes it more difficult to find eligible mates in societies that are already relatively small. A high male mortality in warfare may be the main cause of a sex-ratio favoring females. Exogamy does not guarantee that spouses have no genetic relationship. 2016. These are most often the locus of exogamy; marrying a member of ones own clan or moiety typically constitutes a form of incest. Why? In many cultures, marriage involves major economic considerations that may involve natural resources, currency, service, or other transactions. The rule that specifies marriage to a person from outside ones own group (kin, caste, or community). bridewealth Some of these are: Exogamous marriage is marriage between people from different groups, such as racial or religious groups. 2011). Consistent with this, polygynous societies are more likelihood to believe that that sex with women is dangerous. In addition, societies with high father absence are more likely to have male initiation ceremonies. Another evolutionary theory is based on the idea that inequality in male wealth will favor polygyny because women (or their families) might choose to marry a wealthy man, rather than a man with few resources. Homogamy: conscious or unconscious tendency to select mate with personal characteristics similar to one's own Online searchers typically do not seek out people of a different race The love relationship Coupling of love and marriage not universal U.S. parents and peers expected to help child confine search for a mate to "socially . However, it is important to understand that even where polygyny is generally practiced most men will not have more than one wife at any given point in time. 2016), These figures are based on data from the Standard Cross Cultural Sample which were coded by Broude and Greene (1985); these data on marriage were retrieved from D-PLACE variable SCCS739. However, sometimes parents still have to approve the choice. Dow, Gregory K., Clyde G. Reed, and Simon Woodcock. What might explain why matrilocal societies generally lack substantial transactions to the grooms kin in contrast to considerable transactions to the wifes kin with patrilocality? Marriage and Family in C. R. Ember, ed. Elizabeth Prine Pauls was Associate Editor, Anthropology and Languages, at Encyclopdia Britannica. In many mammal species that browse or graze on vegetation, babies can walk shortly after birth and travel with their mother as she feeds, allowing them to nurse with little impediment. Such incorporation can be before marriage, such as growing up in the same community, or it can occur after marriage, such as being cared for by a deceased spouses family. Children from a marriage are symbolized by a downward line from the marriage. 2019. Given considerable jealousy, some anthropologists find it puzzling that polygyny is so prevalent (e.g., M. Ember (1974)). The main difference between exogamous marriage and endogamous marriage is the group of people from which a marriage partner is pulled. The children of siblings of the same gender (i.e., the children of a woman and her sister or of a man and his brother are parallel cousins to each other). matrilocal Sometimes there is an exchange of potential spousesif a bride comes to the husbands community, it will be arranged that a female relative will marry into the brides community. Long-fallow agriculture is associated with moderately complex societies and thus may account for the finding that polygyny is more prevalent in such societies, but less common in very complex societies. Note which cousins are parallel and cross-cousins for the male listed as ego.. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The Komachi, pastoral nomads of southern Iran, preferred marriage with kin who were no more distant than second cousins and about 70% were with first cousins (Bradburd 1990, 115). The groom, before or after the marriage, gives work services to the brides family. In some cases, the rules of exogamy may also specify the outside group into which an individual must marry. There are many advantages to the practice of exogamy. Given the importance of culture to human survival, it is not surprising that all societies have some form of family, minimally composed of a parent (or guardian) and at least one child. See: formal polyandry and informal polyandry. Unfortunately, they did not measure family in exactly the same way as Nimkoff and Middleton (they termed their variable family complexity and included societies with considerable polygyny in the same category with extended family households. Mandatory marriage within ones own group is known as endogamy. We concentrate here on economic theories suggesting conditions that might make polygyny attractive for men and evolutionary theories that postulate advantages for both men and women. See more. Polygyny is generally associated with, Moderate levels of societal complexity as indicated by (Osmond 1965). Societies with extended family households are less likely to allow individual choice in choosing a mate (Stephens 1963; Lee and Stone 1980), less likely to think romantic love should be the basis of marriage (de Munck and McGreevey 2016), and not surprisingly, less likely to have close relationships between husbands and wives, and more likely to have more divorce. Given the near-universality of marriage, it is assumed that the custom must be very adaptive for human societies. The Naga tribe of Assam is divided into khels. The wealth can be transmitted to outside family. In such a situation it becomes interesting to differentiate between the close kin and the descent or lineage. However, non-native, "invasive" populations that have "not yet established a pattern of local adaptation" may derive some adaptive benefit from admixture. pattern of marital residence in which couples typically live with or near the husbands parents. In contrast, a man and woman in a more-or-less stable union not only share one set of children, but have no conflicts regarding other children to support. The theory is that when local opportunities for marriage are scarce due to small size, exogamy would be more adaptive. Respect: Partners should respect each other's boundaries, opinions, and decisions. Exogamy, which is the practice of marrying outside of one's own social group or tribe, was also likely practiced by early humans. The globalization of society has had a profound effect on the practice of exogamy. Trust: Trust is the foundation of any healthy relationship. And, if a man marries two or more unrelated women (nonsororal polygyny), he will increase the genetic variability of his offspring even further. In social science, exogamy is viewed as a combination of two related aspects: biological and cultural. Evolutionary theories are based on the general principle that certain traits or behaviors in particular environments may give groups or individuals some reproductive advantages over others if these traits or behaviors are passed onto offspring, either through genetic transmission or through social learning. Love as a basis of marriage is antithetical to arranged marriage (Hull 1989). By implication, when production is household-based, the broader family is likely to exert control on marriage choice. Alternatively, indirect dowry can be thought of as a combination of bride price paid first and then dowry. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. In addition, if women have very low status (and men have high status), adult women may have few alternatives to marriage. The presence of extended families may also affect the marital relationship. In addition to blood relatives, marriage to members of a specific totem, clan (s) or other group (s) may be forbidden. Endogamy: It is a rule of marriage in which the life-partners are to be selected within the group. However, Fraysers research does not attempt to explain the double standard for extramarital relationships between men and women. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. A greater importance placed on inheritable property (Rosenblatt and Unangst 1974). Why? Minturn, Leigh, Martin Grosse, and Santoah Haider. The two main transfers of goods and services to the brides family are bride service and bride price. However, they found that the complexity of a society introduced a qualification, namely that, High mortality rate predicts nonsororal polygyny in non-state societies, but not in state societies. anthropology news 25 chapters | some social stratification but generally less than three levels of classes or castes. Whiting, John W. M., and Beatrice B. Whiting. First, most of the more stable bonding species lacked any division of labor, casting doubt on the division of labor theory. Silas (1926) explains that, Marriage is accompanied by hardly any public ceremony or riteapart from the placing of the stones and an exchange of gifts between the husband and the relatives of the bride, there is no formal ceremony; the wife simply joins the man, and they set up house together (1926, 150), Cross-cultural researchers have examined the predictors of the degree of marriage ceremony complexity. 1962. anthropology dictionary Hopi woman dressing hair of unmarried girl. According to this theory, groups that engaged in exogamy would flourish, while those that did not would all die, either literally or because they lacked sufficient ties for cultural and economic exchange, leaving them at a disadvantage. While they are rarely the typical form of marriage in a society, societies practicing polyandry to some degree are more likely to have an opposite sex ratio favoring males rather than females (Starkweather and Hames 2012 see polyandry section below). , such as those with rigid caste systems usually defined through kinship rather than ethnicity religion. The vast majority of societies in the absence of financial transactions ( Flinn low! Men have a companion before marriage & # x27 ; s group, is a rule of marriage limited only... Which an individual must marry is assumed that the custom must be very for! Nonblood-Related beings, regulated by forms of incest law the theory is that such facilitate... 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