Systems of Mate Selection Arranged Marriages, Autonomous Marriages, and “In Between” Marriages

Arranged Marriage Societies Parents or other relatives select your spouse for you. You may have little or nothing to say about it. Usually, the adult males in the family of a potential bride and a potential groom arrange the marriage

Autonomous Marriage Societies Theoretically, offspring select who they want to marry. However,... Parents often directly or indirectly influence who their children marry

“In Between” Societies Your parents select a spouse for you, but you have veto power You select a mate for yourself, but your parents have veto power Developing countries are the ones most likely to have an “in between” system of mate selection.

What Parents Take into Account in Deciding who Their Children will Marry The amount of the bride price (also referred to as a bride wealth), groom service (sometimes referred to as a bride service), or dowry. oBride Price—wealth a man or his parents have to give a woman’s parents before he can marry her oGroom Service—the husband-to-be has to work for the bride-to-be’s parents for some period of time. oDowry—wealth a woman’s parents give to the couple getting married or to the man’s parents before she can marry him. oBride price/groom service as compensation for a loss oMarriage on the installment plan

What Parents Take into Account in Deciding who Their Children will Marry (continued) The potential marriage partner’s reputation The potential marriage partner’s social status

Other Facts about Arranged Marriage Societies The Sororate Phenomenon –Sororate refers to a situation I which a wife who has died or run away is replaced with one of her sisters or other female kin –The sororate phenomenon is most common in societies that have a high bride price. –The sororate phenomenon functions to maintain friendly alliances between two families

Other Facts about Arranged Marriage Societies (continued) The Levirate Phenomenon –Levirate refers to the marriage of a dead man’s wife to one of his brothers or other male kin. –The levirate phenomenon ensures that women and children are protected

Explanation for Systems of Mate Selection—Background Information: Rules of Residence Patrilocal—This rule states that the couple should live with or near the parents of the husband after marriage Matrilocal—This rule states that the couple should live with or near the parents of the wife after marriage Neolocal—The couple should live away from both sets of parents. Avunculocal—The couple should live with or near the husband’s mother’s brother. (The husband’s maternal uncle) Ambilocal—The couple should live with or near the husband’s or the wife’s parents.

Explanation for Systems of Mate Selection—More Background Information Extended families have three generations living together: –The senior (grandparent) generation –The married offspring of the senior generation –The children of the married offspring (the grandchildren generation) Nuclear families have two generations living together—the parent and offspring generations

More Background Information In societies characterized by extended families, the rule of residence is almost always patrilocal. Whether the residence rule is patrilocal or matrilocal, the married offspring live with either the husband’s (in the case of patrilocal residence) or the wife’s (in the case of matrilocal residence) parents

More Background Information In societies characterized by nuclear families, three rules of residence are common –Neolocal (married children do not live with anyone’s parents) –Patrilocal (married children live in the same general area as the husband’s parents) –Matrilocal (married children live in the same general area as the wife’s parents)

More Background Information Arranged marriages are much more common in societies characterized by extended families Autonomous marriages are much more common in societies characterized by nuclear families

The Explanation for Systems of Mate Selection Answers Two Questions Why are arranged marriages most common in societies that have extended families? Why are autonomous marriages most common in societies that have nuclear families?