Marriage and Family Flashcards
Anthropological definition of marriage
Culturally defined relationship between a man and a woman from different families, which regulates sexual intercourse and provides for reproduction.
What is an endogamous marriage?
Marrying withing your group, Usually limited to religion
What is an exogamous marriage?
Marrying outside your group
What is a monogamous marriage?
A marriage containing only one spouse at a time
What is Polygyny?
One man with several wives
What is Group Marriage?
Several men and several women married to each other
What is Polyandry
One woman with several husbands
What is polygamy
Polygyny and Polyandry (multiple spouses)
Why do some groups prefer polygamous marriages?
Unbalanced sex ratio within the group
Multiple spouses are a source of wealth
Economic and Social benefits
Why do some groups prefer monogamous marriages?
Balanced sex ratio within the society
Wage Labour
Religious or Legally sanctioned
What is Brideprice, and which group is it common among.
In exchange for a spouse, the future husband and his family will compensate the bride’s family with material goods
This is common among Horticulturalists and Pastoralists
What is Post-Marital Exchanges? And what are types of it?
Defined: Providing an exchange for someone’s daughter
- Brideservice
2.Brideprice
3.Dowry System
4.Gift Exchange
- Sister exchange or daughter exchange
What is Brideservice? Which kind of group is this common among?
In exchange for the loss of the daughter, the future husband will provide a service for the bride’s family
Common among Foragers
What is the Dowry System? what group is this most common among?
The bride will receive part of her inheritance in advance to contribute to her new family (Could be money, furniture, livestock, etc)
In western society we see this since it’s common for the bride’s family to pay for the wedding
Daughters with bigger dowries get more potential suitors
Common among food producers
What is Sister exchange/ Daughter exchange
Trade in a sibling to marry someone from the family you desire to marry into
What is gift exchange ? What are two forms of it?
One form of exchange gives gifts to the bride and groom (Stuff to start a family/a new house)
Another form is the exchange of gifts between families of the bride and groom
What is patrilocal?
The couple lives with the groom’s family
What is matrilocal?
The couple lives with the bride’s family
What is the importance of post-marital residence?
A question of inheritance really
Land being passed on, etc
Means they always will have people to look after them
What is neolocal?
The couple lives independently of their families
What is Ambilocal?
The couple has the choice between Matrilocal (Living with Bride’s family) or Patrilocal (Living with Groom’s family)
What is Kinship ?
Refers to the relationships that are based on blood (Consanguineal relatives) or marriage (Affinal relatives)
What is Bilocal? Which group is it most common among?
The married couple can choose between Matrilocal or Patrilocal but doesn’t have to be permanent
Consanguineal meaning
Relative by blood, share ancestors, etc
What is Avunculocal?
The couple lives with the groom’s mother’s brother.
What are functions of Kinship and what do they do?
Vertical Function of kinship provides social continuity by binding together a number of successive generations
-Used to pass on education, tradition, poverty, and political office
Horizontal Function of kinship tens to solidify or tie together a society through the process of marriage
-Used to form alliances with other kinship groups
What does Kinship determine?
Kinship determines lines of inheritance
Kinship determines social obligation
Kinship determines potential marriage partners
Kin play important economic, social, political and religious roles in most societies
Affinal definition
Relative by marriage, in-laws, spouse, step siblings, etc
What is Descent? What are the two other types of it?
Descent is the tracing of kinship relations through birth or relations with a parent or parents
1) Unilineal descent is a kinship system where the child is related by descent to only one parent (mother or father)
2) Bilineal Descent is a kinship system where the child is related by decent to both parents.
What is kinship terminology?
Kinship terminology refers to kin terms used to describe biological and/or social relationships
(Aunt, son, grandma, etc)
