8: Marriage & Family Flashcards
What philosophies created our notion of passionate love
1500s western individualism and democracy arising. Emergence of the self.
How is marriage defined by current anthropologists (namely, the ones who wrote your textbook)
Socially-approved union between adult partners that regulated their economic and sexual rights and obligations. Assumption of relatively permanency. Usually involves mutual understanding or contract.
Why are common-law couples increasing while married couples decrease?
- student debt means costly weddings are less of a thing
- less involvement in, and pressure from, organized religion
- For children of divorce,
When was interracial marriage allowed in USA
1967 :(
Exogamy
Out-marriage
Endogamy
In-marriage
Cross cousins—and who are your cross cousins?
Cross cousins are the children of your parent’s opposite-sex siblings. Eg. Brandon is a cross cousin, since he’s the child of Mum’s brother.
Parallel cousins. Who are your parallel cousins?
Children of your parents’ same-sex siblings. Candace and Alyssa; Melody and Jonathan
Who are your patrilineal cross-cousins?
Candace, Alyssa, Mel, Jonathan
Patrilineal parallel cousins?
Amy, Robin, Nathan
Purpose of marrying to cross cousins?
Alliance. They are part of different lineages.
Benefit of marrying to parallel cousins?
Inheritance, they are in the same lineage.
LGBT rights in Canada
Prior to 1969, homosexuality was illegal, punishable by imprisonment, fines, time in a sanatorium.
In British North America era, was punishable by death.
What is bridewealth?
Gift to bride’s family from groom and/or groom’s next-of-kin.
What is bride-price?
Bridewealth.
Where is bridewealth most common?
Pastoral communities, where livestock is main currency
Other social factors in bridewealth
- Young men become obligated with elders
- seniors have power and resources, can buy a lotta wives
Bridewealth is most common in _______ systems/societies.
Patrilineal! A man is essentially buying rights to her fertility, her labour, and future family members. He’s also compensating her family for the loss of labour and future descendants.
Transfer of money or goods from bride’s family to groom or groom’s family.
Dowry
Where are dowries common?
- Societies with fixed plot agriculture
- European peasants
- Asia, especially India
In most societies, marriage not only aligns individuals, but kin groups.
:)
Where bridewealth is high, marriage is…
Stable!
Describe Nuer marriage tradition
- ghost marriages are possible.
- When a woman’s husband dies, their children are still his.
- When a woman’s husband dies, she should marry her deceased husband’s brother…or may just open herself to new lovers??
Minghun marriage tradition
- afterlife marriage
- if son dies, parents worry that son will be sad bachelor in afterlife. They try to find a dead woman to marry him, burying them together.
