In other words, exogamy helps to keep the gene pool fresh. Human Relations Area Files https://hraf.yale.edu/ehc/summaries/marriage-and-family, accessed [give date]. Bride service tends to occur in hunting and gathering societies or societies at a simpler level of complexity (Evascu 1975). In many exogamous cultures, cross-cousins are viewed as ideal marriage partners. In a comparative study of 40 mammal and bird species (M. Ember and Ember 1979), no support was found for any of the three major theoriesdivision of labor, long dependency, or sexual competition. With the click of a button, someone from New York can connect with someone from London or Tokyo. After all, arranged marriage is far from universal in the anthropological record. Why? 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. In addition, an excess of women can also be achieved by capturing women in warfare (White and Burton 1988). Divorce rate? patrilocal But more importantly, two women are likely to have twice as many mouths to feed and care for. systems of exchange, Consanguinity The State of being related to someone by descent from a common ancestor, Assimilation How Minority Groups become part of the Dominant Culture. If a society insists on monogamy even with a serious shortage of marriageable men, it will have many unmarried women. in complex societies that have social stratification and intensive agriculture (Schlegel and Eloul 1988; Evascu 1975), although such societies are also likely to lack substantial transactions at marriage (Evascu 1975). 1969. But since women in the Arab Khalifate region are typically secluded, women would be unlikely to be able to cultivate their portion of land, leaving it to be controlled by her husband. Maria has taught University level psychology and mathematics courses for over 20 years. a sex-ratio in favor of males is associated with appreciable amounts of polyandry. Lee, Gary R., and Lorene Hemhill Stone. In such a situation it becomes interesting to differentiate between the close kin and the descent or lineage. 2004. Jankowiak, William, Monika Sudakov, and Benjamin C. Wilreker. In tribal societies, the dual exogamy union lasted for many generations, ultimately uniting the groups initially unrelated by blood or language into a single tribe or nation. Indeed, in a number of cross-cultural studies, higher female contribution to subsistence is significantly associated with more polygyny (Heath 1958; Burton and Reitz 1981; White and Burton 1988; Minocher, Duda, and Jaeggi 2019; but see M. Ember 1984). See more. However, sometimes parents still have to approve the choice. In India, for example, people looking for a partner are pressured to towards endogamous marriage, to someone from within the same caste. Finally, the sexual competition argument points to the greater conflict among human males as compared to non-human primates. Second, societies with arranged marriages are more likely to have rape of women (Apostolou 2017). [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. 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. Dow, Gregory K., Clyde G. Reed, and Simon Woodcock. Children in the Inuit communities are seen as members of their mother's totem for the purposes of exogamy. Women are limited in the number of children they can have throughout their reproductive careers, so obviously they cannot increase their number of children by marrying polygynously. Coult, Allan D., and Robert W. Habenstein. Finally, the last day consists of a ceremonial washing of the bride and groom to signify the washing away of all remaining traces of youth. The washing is followed by the couples hair being tied into a single knot (Geertz and Lomatuway 1987). Variation includes how many people can be married at one time, what kind of marriage partners one is allowed, and whether there are elaborate ceremonies or not. This social group can be defined in a number of ways, including by race, ethnicity, religion, caste, clan, or family. Using this line of reasoning, Boserup explains why societies with long-fallow agriculture, which involves rotating through relatively large tracts of land, is associated with polygyny compared with societies practicing plow agriculture on permanent plots of land. 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. 2005. An exogamous marital arrangement is one where individuals marry outside of their own social group. mile Durkheim[9] derives exogamy from totemism. These problems relate to the division of labor by gender, a very long infant dependency, and sexual competition, but each of them have logical flaws (C. R. Ember, Ember, and Peregrine 2019). brideprice The group defines the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. economy There are skin names within these large communities, and marriages are made between skin names. residence Generally, more societies in the ethnographic record forbid first cousin marriage than permit it. 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. What is exogamy? Or, a father needs to clear the forest for planting, but is away working for wages. And, if a man marries two or more unrelated women (nonsororal polygyny), he will increase the genetic variability of his offspring even further. What accounts for the allowance of first cousin marriage? 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). Researchers have proposed different theories to account for the origin of exogamy. IntroductionMarriage is a social institution that is regulated by laws and cultural practices. One economic theory focuses on how much women contribute to subsistence. If marriage is a socially-accepted union, societies need a way of recognizing that union. The problem is that if there were no stable matings, we are probably talking about half-brothers, not full brothers. Polygyny provides a man with more opportunities to have a large number of childrengenerally, the more wives, the more children. exogamy is exogamic exogamousadj. exogamyn.[] exomis exosmosisn Formal polyandry adds the additional criterion that the multiple men considered fathers live with the same woman. Put simply, its the practice of marrying outside of ones social group. Societal complexity is mid-range (Blumberg and Winch 1972). For example, there may be six skin names in a given indigenous language group (native groups are defined by language). Note that the shortage of men theory suggests why polygyny might be advantageous for societies as a whole and for unmarried women. Given the near-universality of marriage, it is assumed that the custom must be very adaptive for human societies. When one marries outside of a social group, it is called exogamy. Exogamy does not guarantee that spouses have no genetic relationship. marriage Alternatively, indirect dowry can be thought of as a combination of bride price paid first and then dowry. Extended family households are more likely in societies where. More geographically isolated societies are more likely to allow cousin marriage (Hoben, Buunk, and Fisher 2016). Exogamy is a social rule that requires marriage to be between individuals who are not closely related by blood or ancestry. Quinlan and Quinlan (2007) suggest that If the presence of both a husband and a wife is not critical for raising a child, staying in an unwanted marriage is not as necessary for successful child-rearing. Of the 148 societies in the Standard Cross Cultural Sample which Broude and Green coded 31.1% have full individual choice, 17.6% have individual choice that requires parental approval, 3.4% have individual choice that also require parental arrangement, 18.2% have either individual choice or arranged marriage, 16.9% have arranged marriage, but individuals have the ability to object, and 12.8% have fully arranged marriage., The figures in this paragraph and in the Figure are based on data from the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (Murdock and White 1969); these data on polygyny were retrieved from D-PLACE variable SCCS211. Hence, it is more efficient and economical for the man and woman who share the child (or children) to cooperate. Thus, exogamy meaning is defined as intentionally marrying outside one's group, clan, or social unit. As discussed in the sexuality and adolescence modules, research suggests that in these situations there is a greater likelihood that boys will have conflict about their gender identity and hence will exhibit more defensive masculine behavior as they grow up. There are three main types of exogamy: Endogamy, the practice of marrying within one's group, is the opposite of exogamy. Community exogamy/endogamy. Some common examples of social groups which practice endogamy are people of the same religion, individuals with the same nationality, people of the same class, and related individuals who wish to keep power in the family. Such lineages may in turn be grouped into clans or moieties. Increasing the genetic diversity of the offspring improves the chances of offspring reproducing, up until the fourth-cousin level of relatedness; however, reproduction between individuals on the fourth-cousin level of relatedness decreases evolutionarily fitness. Cross-cousins, the children of ones mothers brother (in a matrilineal system) or fathers sister (in a patrilineal system), belong to a different lineage from ones own. This type of dowry differs in that it originates from the grooms family; goods or money is given to the bride directly or to the brides family who then give it to the bride. exogamy, also called out-marriage, custom enjoining marriage outside ones own group. 6 main causes of divorce: 1) Rise of individualism. Incompatible activities make it difficult for one gender to do the needed work (Pasternak, Ember, and Ember 1976). However, the two types of marriage practice prioritize lineage in different ways (exogamy uses this practice to support and strengthen family names, while endogamy uses endogamous practices to isolate bloodlines within a lineage). Strengthening of the genetic pool, thus reducing birth defects. Interethnic marriage: a marriage between two people of different ethnicities. Bride price or substantial transactions of wealth accompanying the marriage (Frayser 1985; Rosenblatt and Unangst 1974). It is also important to note that science has taught us that exogamy is a way to prevent inbreeding and genetic defects within a community. There are many different reasons why people choose to marry someone from a different social group, including cultural, social, and economic factors. Exogamy, the practice of marrying outside the group, is found in societies in which kinship relations are the most complex, thus barring from marriage large groups who may trace their lineage to a common ancestor. magic Equal exchanges between kin groups also occur. In addition, if women have very low status (and men have high status), adult women may have few alternatives to marriage. High male mortality in warfare (M. Ember 1974, 1984). Higher wealth inequality predicts more polygyny amongst foragers, horticultural and pastoral populations (Ross et al. Might this variation help us test theories about the conditions under which marriage is important? Members of each half of the moiety may only marry someone from the other half of the moiety. dowry Australian Aboriginal people live in family or kin groups. Societies with male-biased inheritance or more male control over resources are more likely to have polygyny (Hartung 1982; Cowlishaw and Mace 1996; Sellen and Hruschka 2004). According to a survey 83% people practice exogamy in these tribes. Decrease in hereditary diseases and birth defects due to a highly diverse gene pool. Murdock, George Peter, and Douglas R. White. Its mission is to encourage and facilitate the cross-cultural study of human culture, society and behavior in the past and present. If a mother has to leave her hatchlings in a nest when she gathers food, they have little chance of survival. Huber, Brad R., William F. Danaher, and William L. Breedlove. A division of labor by gender is a cultural universal and it is proposed that marriage is a way for females and males to productively share the results of their varied subsistence tasks. 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. Starkweather and Hames point out that polyandry is often associated with the belief in partible paternity, the idea that a particular child can have more than one biological father. By exchanging spouses between groups, individuals were able to forge alliances and build relationships with members of other groups. Second, and perhaps surprisingly, the findings regarding child dependency and sexuality were in the opposite directionthat is, those species with longer infant dependencies and more female sexual receptivity were less, not more likely, to have female-male bonding. This social group can be defined in a number of ways, including by race, ethnicity, religion, caste, clan, or family. 2007. In fact, there are relatively few societies that do not allow divorce for any reason (Betzig 1989; Minturn, Grosse, and Haider 1969). After speaking to the girl, the boy goes to her parents, not needing permission from his own parents. Mate selection takes various forms but generally falls on a continuum from full individual choice to marriages fully arranged by parents or other relatives. Manage Settings There are a couple of known exceptions to the claim that marriage is a universal custom. And neither woman could likely provide game through hunting. While the two most common reasons for divorceadultery and the inability to have children do not necessarily occur in the same societies, some research suggests that they are related in some way. A sex-ratio favoring females can also be created by having older men marry much younger women (M. Ember 1984). dance 2018). The severity of enforcement of exogamous restrictions varies greatly across cultures and may range from death to mild disapproval. From a genetic point of view, aversion to breeding with close relatives results in fewer congenital diseases. 2019. During this time she mainly grinds corn, signifying a symbolic payment of service to the grooms mother for her son. Why? More socially complex societies, such as those with large communities and more political hierarchy, are more likely to permit first cousin marriage (M. Ember 1975). Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. In both cases, not only did male and female sexual partners live separately with their maternal families, but they did not have regular economic cooperation nor other regular obligations with their sexual partners. In human autosomal-DNA science, endogamy has been used to refer to any cousin marriage that affects an ancestral tree. The promise of resources in the form of bride price or bride service provides a brides family with some assurance that the potential groom was a suitable partner (Huber, Danaher, and Breedlove 2011a). the higher the status of females in society (Pearson and Hendrix 1979). In such societies, marrying a first cousin combined with marrying within the community predicts lower divorce rates even more strongly. Among the societies with more elaborate ceremonies are the Hopi, of the U.S. Southwest, who practice a wedding ceremony that lasts four days. In some parts of the world, arranged marriages are still common, and exogamy is often seen as a way to prevent families from being too closely related to each other. Why? 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. religion A strict taboo on premarital sex for women (Kitahara 1974). And families vary in size and composition from a single-parent unit to very large multi-generation families and households. Unilineal descent systems typically organize members of a generation into two broad groups. In addition to blood relatives, marriage to members of a specific totem, clan (s) or other group (s) may be forbidden. The female-biased sex ratio theory may also explain why polygyny is relatively rare in very complex societies. pattern of marital residence in which couples typically live with or near the husbands parents. State societies are likely to have less male mortality because fighting forces tend to be specialized; therefore male mortality is less likely to be an important factor. The marriage would be practiced outside ones group, class or caste. Pearson and Hendrix (1979) suggest that the relationship between higher female status and more divorce may help explain earlier findings (e.g., Minturn, Grosse, and Haider (1969)) that divorce is easier in matrilocal societies inasmuch as female status tends to be higher in such societies. Why? The Inuit are North American indigenous peoples living in a moiety composed of totem (defined by animal names) groups that are made up of many smaller tribes. She was State Archaeologist of Iowa from 2002 to 2006. While such tests cannot be conducted without variation to study, behavior in other animal species may shed light on these theories. If land is available for expansion, then the additional input of subsistence contributions from multiple women makes economic sense for a man to want to be married polygynously (Boserup 1970). Very different types of structural factors may be related to divorce rate. The reasoning is that, with a shortage of men, polygyny is a way for everyone to get married and have children legitimately. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. 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. Why? brideservice The opposite situation holds for matrilineal societies, but this time, assuming you cant marry in your kin group, only your matrilateral parallel cousins mothers sisters childrenwill be in your kin group. Male mortality in warfare ( White and Burton 1988 ) ( Hoben, Buunk, and Simon Woodcock descent lineage! Polygyny might be advantageous for societies as a combination of bride price paid first and dowry! 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Are skin names Hemhill Stone simply, its the practice of marrying outside of own. Still have to approve the choice reducing birth defects a mother has to leave her hatchlings in a when... Social institution that is regulated by laws and cultural practices dowry can be thought as. Females in society ( Pearson and Hendrix 1979 ) arrangement is one where individuals marry outside their. The Inuit communities are seen as members of their own social group it! Alliances and build relationships with members of their mother 's totem for the man and woman who share the (... Grooms mother for her son any cousin marriage away working for wages woman who share the child ( children... Groups, individuals were able to forge alliances and build relationships with of... And behavior in other words, exogamy meaning is defined as intentionally marrying outside of ones social,! Rates even more strongly Robert W. Habenstein meaning is defined as intentionally marrying outside 's! Ethnographic record forbid first cousin marriage ( Frayser 1985 ; Rosenblatt and Unangst ). Sudakov, and marriages are more likely to have a large number of childrengenerally, the more children clear forest... Have children legitimately and Ember 1976 ) exogamy: Endogamy, the more wives, the practice marrying... Like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me or social unit human as... Married and have children legitimately broad groups Gary R., William F. Danaher, and William L. Breedlove choice! Combination of bride price or substantial transactions of wealth accompanying the marriage would be practiced outside ones group! 1985 ; Rosenblatt and Unangst 1974 ) and Winch 1972 ) after to! Ember 1974, 1984 ) Generally falls on a continuum from full choice. Male mortality in warfare ( White and Burton 1988 ) in warfare White!

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