The Basseri

Question 1

True or False?

In some non-western cultures, mariage forms social and political alliances, sometimes transferring wealth.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Bridewealth

Answer 2

marital gift by husband and kin to wife’s kin. (most common)

Question 3

Dowry

Answer 3

marital gift by wife and kin to husband’s kin (less common)

Question 4

Levirate

Answer 4

When a widow is expected to marry one of her deceased husbands brothers.

Question 5

Sorate

Answer 5

when a wife dies, the husband is expected to marry one of her sisters.

Question 6

monogamy

Answer 6

male marrying a female (most common marriage worldwide)

Question 7

polygyny

Answer 7

marriage between one person and two or more spouses

-practiced in 80% of populations

Question 8

polygyny threshold model

Answer 8

Shows that females will more commonly marry those guys who have the most food resources.

Question 9

What is the population of the baseri?

Answer 9

Around 16,000.

Question 10

How many tents are within a single basseri camp?

Answer 10

30-40 tents

Question 11

What is the cow and goat herd size for each tent within the basseri camp?

Answer 11

100+

Question 12

True or false?

The basseri are a nomadic tribe and they do move with all of their possessions.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

True or fallse

The basseri’s subsistance patterens rely on agriculture, and minorly on foraging.

Answer 13

True

Question 14

what does the basseri word “il-rah” mean?

Answer 14

“Tribal Road” or traditional route that the basseri move along each time they migrate from place to place.

Question 15

What percent of the world is lactose intolerant?

Answer 15

70%

Question 16

Lactose persistence

Answer 16

ability to digest dairy products into adulthood. this is found in many pastorilist groups. genetic variation through natural selection.

Question 17

The basseri base their wealth on what?

Answer 17

the amount of live stock one owns.

Question 18

True or False

Premarital sex is allowed in the basseri tribes.

Answer 18

Premarital sex is strictly prohibited.

Question 19

Neolocal

Answer 19

when couples get married, they establish their own household.

Question 20

True or false?

each tent within the basseri tribe is self suffiecient in providing food for itself.

Answer 20

True

Question 21

True or false?

Women are the typical political heads of the household.

Answer 21

False

The males are the heads of the house hold, if no male is present, the wisest individual is head regardless of gender.

Question 22

What are thew powers of a tribal basseri headman?

Answer 22

He does have authority but has no real power. he acts as an information conduit for the cheif.

Question 23

What are the powers of the basseri cheif?

Answer 23

The cheif has both authority and power, he can determine routes and timing of migration, resolves disputes, and act as a representative for outside power. He acts as the overall leader of the tribe.

Question 24

What religion do the basseri practice?

Answer 24

Although the basseri are known as shi’a muslims, they don’t really practice any rituals or organizations of religion.