Day 3 Marriage

Marriage
2.3 Marriage
1. Definition and Universality
2. Laws of Marriage (Endogamy, Exogamy,
Hypergamy, Hypogamy, Incest Taboo)
3. Types of Marriage (Monogamy,
Polygamy, Polyandry, Group Marriage)
4. Marriage Regulation (Preferential,
Prescriptive, Proscriptive)
5. Marriage Payments ( Bride Wealth
and Dowry)
Definition of Marriage
A socially approved sexual and

economic union usually between a
man and a woman that is more or less
permanent and subsumes reciprocal
rights and obligations( property,
finances and childbearing)
Problems of Defining Marriage
No satisfactory definition.
All forms and manifestations are
not covered in a single
definition.
Malinowski: A legal marriage is one which gives a

women a socially recognised husband and her children
a socially recognised father.
Notes and Queries:

A union between a man and a women such that
children born to them are recognised as legitimate
offspring of both parents.
Criticism of Notes and Queries Definition by
Edmund Leach:
1. Word “union” is inapproriate as

individuals don’t loose their identity.
2. Exceptions
a) Male-male marriage- Azande of Sudan
b) Female-Female Marriage- Nuer of Africa
c) Ghost Marriage in African tribes
Na(China) and Nayar Exception.
There is no marriage with sexual
partners. They live in residential
groups in maternal household.
No longstanding and
monogamous relationships.
Kathleen Gough’s Study of Nayars
“A relationship established between a

woman and one or more other persons
that provides that a child born to the
woman under circumstances not
prohibited by the rules of the relationship
and is accorded full birth status rights”
Kathleen Gough’s Study of Nayars
It covers Nayar marriage, fraternal polyandry,

woman woman marriage.
Still not covered:
1. Homosexual marriage of Azande
2. Gay marriage of modern times
3. Live in relationship
4. Cattle marriage of Bantu tribe Africa
Conclusion:
Not possible
Anthropologists not interested in a
universal definition.
They are interested in kinds of rights
associated with marriage.
Why Marriage is Universal
1. Gender Division of labour

2. Prolonged infant dependency
3. Reduce sexual competition
Laws of Marriage
Hypergamy
Hypogamy
Endogamy
Exogamy
Incest taboo
Laws of Marriage
Hypergamy: A man should marry his daughter into
a family of higher status than his own.
For Eg. Anuloma in Caste System
Consequences: Castes can improve their status.
Consolidate social relationship
Hypogamy: A man marries a women of higher

status than his own social status.
For Eg. Pratiloma in Caste System
Laws of Marriage
Incest Taboo
Means sexual relationship between close relatives like
father-daughter, mother son, brother-sister etc
Exceptions:
Permitted in royal families for eg. Hawaiian Incuan,
Laws of Marriage
Theories explaining Incest Taboo
1. Childhood Familiarity Theory –
Edward Westermarck
2. Psychoanalytic Theory- Sigmund Freud
3. Family Disruption Theory- Malinowski
4. Family Cooperation Theory- E B Tyler
5. Inbreeding Theory
Laws of Marriage
1. Childhood Familiarity Theory –
Edward Westermarck
familiarity leads to sexual disinterest
Yanina Talmon Study of Kibbutz in Israel
children in commune avoid marriage
Criticism
• Why make a rule for a thing which is not done due to
disinterest?
• No marriage should last long
Laws of Marriage
2. Psychoanalytic Theory- Sigmund Freud
I.T. is a reaction against unconcious and unaccepted
desires. Son is jealous of father. But he suppresses
his desires because of fear of retaliation.
Criticism
• Does not explain brother sister incest, father-
daughter incest
Laws of Marriage
3. Family Disruption Theory- Malinowski
Sexual competition among family members results
in rivalry and tension.
Family cant function as an effective unit
Criticism
• Society could have set other rules
• Why brother sister incest existed in ancient Egypt
Laws of Marriage
4. Family Cooperation Theory- E B Tyler
Choice between marrying out and
getting killed
Criticism
• Society could have set other rules to
promote alliances
Laws of Marriage
5. Inbreeding Theory
Passing recessive traits to next generations
Criticism
• Primitive societies lacked scientific knowledge
• Why some societies prefer endogamy
Conclusion: No theory completely explains I.T.

Laws of Marriage
Counter View
Needham: There is no such thing like incest taboo. Incest is found
in many societies so it is not a taboo. He quoted several examples:
1. Hawaiian Incuan
2. Egyptian Royal family
3. Peru
4. Kachin Tribes- Mating with daughter/sister is incestuous but
with mother it is adulterous
5. Lakher of Myanmar- Half siblings from same mother can have
sexual relation
Conclusion: these are just isolated examples. It is a feature of most

of the societies.
Types of Marriage
Monogamy, Polygamy, Polyandry,

Group Marriage
Types of Marriage
1. Monogamy
a) Serial Monogamy
b) Lifelong Monogamy
2. Polygamy
c) Polyandry
Fraternal eg Tibetan, Khasa, Toda etc
Non Fraternal eg Nayar
b) Polygyny
Sororal eg Crow of North America
Non Sororal eg Tonga of Africa
Types of Marriage
Reasons of Polyandry
1. Economic: To avoid division of scarce
cultivable land eg Khasa
2. Religious: Female infanticide eg Toda
3. Political: Matrilineal warrior tribe,
male members away to defend eg
Nayar
Types of Marriage
Reasons of Polgyny
1. Male primate urge to collect females
2. Plenty of labour
3. Shortage of males
4. Prevalent in societies with post
partum sex taboo
5. Women may prefer to marry a
person with more resources
Marriage Regulations
1. Prescriptive
a) Exogamy: Clan exogamy eg. Todas
----to prevent inbreeding
b) Endogamy: Caste Endogamy or
Moiety Endogamy
----To retain cultural identity,
concern of magic by outside women
eg Tharu
2. Preferential
a) Cross Cousin Marriage
b) Parallel Cousin Marriage
c) Levirate and Sororate
2. Preferential
a) Cross Cousin Marriage
Marriage between children of siblings of
opposite sex
Paternal: Marriage with father’s sister
children
Eg- Ashanti of Africa, Trobrianders
Maternal: Marriage with Mother’s brother
children
Eg. Lovedu of S. Africa, Kachin of Burma
2. Preferential
Marriage between children of siblings of
same sex
Paternal: Marriage with father’s brother’s
children
Eg- Bedouins
Maternal: Marriage with Mother’s sister’s
children
Eg. Kurds
2. Preferential
Reasons: Economic Pragmatism
Frequent raids
Retention of purity of
blood
2. Preferential
c) Levirate and sororate
Sororate: Marrying deceased wife’s sister
(hum apke hai kon)
Levirate: Marrying deceased husband’s
brother
Eg- Siwai of South Pacific
Tlingit of Alaska
Reasons: 1. To ensure permanent relationship
2. Prevent return of bride price
3. Upbringing of children
Special Marriages
1. Group Marriage: L H Morgan sais that
this is the earliest form of marriage.
Primitive Promiscuity.
Rights and obligations of marriage are
shared in the group
For eg. Marquesans of Polynesia
2. uncle- niece marriage
3. Ghost Marriage in African tribes
Functions of Marriage
1. Biological Functions-
a) legitimate mode of sexual gratification
b) Continuity of human race
2. Social Function-
a) Foundation of family
b) Propagation of family and society
c) Widening of social relationship
d) Cooperation
e) Enculturation
3. Legal Functions: Legitimacy of child
4. Emotional Function
5. Economic Function: Division of labour
Economic Aspects of Marriage
George Peter Murdock: World
Ethnographic Sample
Financial transaction
6
8 Bride Wealth/
Price
Bride Service
11 Indirect dowry
44
Gift Exchange
Dowry
Female Ex-
12 hchnage
19
Economic Aspects of Marriage
1. Bride Wealth: eg- Subanun of

Philippines
2. Bride Service: eg- Eskismos
3. Indirect Dowry: eg- Baseri of Iran
4. Gift Exchange: eg- Andaman Tribes
5. Dowry: eg- Eastern Europe, India
6. Exchange of females: eg-Tiv of West
Africa, Yanomamo of Brazil

Day 3 Marriage

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Day 3 Marriage

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Marriage

A socially approved sexual and

Malinowski: A legal marriage is one which gives a

Notes and Queries:

1. Word “union” is inapproriate as

“A relationship established between a

It covers Nayar marriage, fraternal polyandry,

1. Gender Division of labour

Hypogamy: A man marries a women of higher

Conclusion: No theory completely explains I.T.

Conclusion: these are just isolated examples. It is a feature of most

Monogamy, Polygamy, Polyandry,

1. Bride Wealth: eg- Subanun of

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