Marriage, Family, and Domestic Groups

Marriage Societies regulate Organization of labor Responsibility for childcare Organize individual’s rights and responsibilities Transfer of property between generations Through marriage and kinship

Marriage Marriage – the customs, rules and obligations that establish a socially endorsed relationship between adults and children, and between kin groups of the married partners

Marriage Marriage and family are cultural They differ between cultures and within culture over time Marriage is not universal: the Na of China Marriage Rules Who can get married What happens to widows/widowers How many people can one be married to

Marriage Rules – who can get married Incest Taboos – prohibitions on mating between relatives Avoiding inbreeding Preventing family disruption Forming wider alliances

Marriage Rules – who can get married Exogamy/Endogamy Exogamy – must marry outside group Cooperation and alliance between groups Endogamy - must marry within group Keeps resources within the group May be enforced by law, religion, or caste

Marriage Rules – who can get married Preferential marriages – some societies have rules about the preferred categories of relatives from which marriage partners are drawn Cross-cousin – mother’s brother’s child, father’s sister’s child Parallel cousin – mother’s sister’s child, father’s brother’s child In unilineal descent group (through male line or female line) Marriage to a cross cousin is exogamous Marriage to a parallel cousin is endogamous

Marriage Rules – what happens to widows/widowers Levirate – custom where a man marries the widow of his dead brother Sororate – custom where man marries the sister of his dead wife Marriage as alliance between two groups Marriage contract between groups is fulfilled and children taken care of

Marriage Rules – number of spouses Monogamy – one spouse at a time (135/554) Polygamy – more than one spouse Polygyny – one man and several wives (415/554) Polyandry - one woman and several husbands (4/554)

Marriage Rules – number of spouses Polygyny More wives increases a man’s wealth More alliances between groups Someone to share workload and provide companionship Ratio of males to females usually so low that few men have more than one wife Cost of bridewealth keeps men from affording more than one wife

Marriage Rules – number of spouses Polyandry Most often found in conditions of shortage, shortage of females due to infanticide, shortage of land Marriage of one woman to brothers keeps land in the family

Choosing a Mate In US priority is finding someone you are attracted to and compatible with In some societies satisfaction of married couple less important than economic and political importance to family or group Arranged marriages – process by which senior family members have a lot of control over who their children marry

Exchange of Goods and Rights Marriage is a publicly accepted relationship involving transfer of certain rights and obligations Sexual access, obligations to children, economic services In many cultures rights and obligations extend to family alliances and includes an exchange of gifts between families Brideservice, Bridewealth and Dowry

Exchange of Goods and Rights Brideservice – husband works for the bride’s family for a specific period of time in exchange for marital rights. Usually foraging societies. Bridewealth – cash or goods are given by the groom’s kin to the bride’s to seal marriage Dowry – a presentation of goods from the bride’s family to the groom’s

Rules of Residence Consanguineal – related by blood Conjugal tie – relationship between a husband and wife formed by marriage Domestic group – persons living in the same house, usually, but not always members of a family

Rules of Residence Nuclear family – husband, wife, and children Extended family – blood relations extending over three or more generations Composite family – nuclear families linked by a common spouse. Polygamy Stem family – nuclear family with dependent adult added on

Rules of Residence Patrilocal – bride lives with husband’s family after marriage Patrilineal – extended family organized around male descent Matrilineal – extended family organized around female descent Matrilocal residence – groom lives with the bride’s family after marriage

Rules of Residence Neolocal residence – couple establishes independent household after marriage Avunculocal residence – married couple lives with the husband’s mother’s brother Bilocal residence – couple can choose between living with either the husband’s or the wife’s family

Rules of Residence Observe rules and realities--- not always the same thing