ANTH V02- Cultural Anthropology

Lecture: MARRIAGE

Western Notions of LOVE

Origins of Courtly Love

• Middle Ages
• France and England

Courtly Love

• Not marriage love
• Adulterous
• Aristocratic
• Romance

What is Marriage?

Customs, rules, & obligations between:

• A sexually cohabiting man & woman
• Parents & children
• Families of the bride & groom

What is Marriage?

• domestic cohabitation
• communal recognition
• ceremonial inception
• extension in time

Wedding Ceremonies

• Vary cross-culturally
• Rite of Passage

Traditional Functions of Marriage

1.Regulates sexual access.

2.Creates a family.

3.Expands social group

Rules of Marriage

Incest Taboos

• Prohibitions of sexual relations
• Between relatives
• Universal to most cultures

Exceptions: Royalty in ancient Egypt

· Purity of lineage

· Property undivided

Reasons for Incest Taboo

• Forces people to marry outside the family
• Creates a larger social community

Mate Selection

Exogamy

A person must marry outside their own particular social group or category.

Almost universal

Alliances between different families & groups.

Endogamy

A person must marry some member within their own social group or category.

I.E. Caste System:

Marriage within ones own caste

Caste: Group with specific hierarchical rank

Arranged Marriage: Marriage partners chosen by senior members

Four Types of Marriage

1. Monogamy (+Serial Monogamy)

2. Polygyny

3. Polyandry

Number of Spouses: All societies have rules about how many spouses a person can have at one time.

Monogamy

A person is married to only one spouse at a time.

Serial Monogamy: In U.S., 50% of marriages end in divorce

Polygamy

A rule allowing more than one spouse; takes several forms.

Polygyny

• A man has more than one wife at a time.
• Preferred form.
• Labor, Prestige, Power
• Resources distributed equally

Polyandry

A woman has more than one husband at a time.

Least common

Fraternal Polyandry

• Nyinba of Tibet
• Keeps resources undivided
• Low population growth

Economic Exchanges in Marriage

Bride Service

• Work that the groom performs for his bride’s family
• Before or after the marriage.
  
  

Bridewealth (Bride Price)

• Goods presented by the groom’s kin to the bride’s kin
• Women valued

Dowry

• Presentation of goods by the bride’s kin to the family of the groom
• Women costly

Family Types & Residence Patterns

Nuclear Family

• A husband, a wife, & their children.
• Divorce, remarriage and same sex marriages re-define networks.

Extended Family

• Blood relations
• Three or more generations.
• Economic advantages
• Security
• Participation and dignity for the older family members.

A Household

• Live together
• Share wealth and property
• Support
• Pool labor and resources

Patrilocal Residence Pattern: With or near the husband’s parents

Matrilocal Residence Pattern: With or near the wife’s parents

Neolocal Residence Pattern :Separate household