Marriage, Family, And Residence
: What Are The Possibilities?
Introducing Cultural Anthropology, Roberta Edwards Lenkeit (Chapter 7)
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MARRIAGE, FAMILY, AND RESIDENCE: WHAT
ARE THE POSSIBILITIES?
Note that the scarves of the bride and groom are tied together. This joining of scarves symbolizes their eternal bond in this traditional Hindu wedding.
© 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved
MARRIAGE, FAMILY, AND RESIDENCE:
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES?
Diagramming Kingship
Marriage Rules
Marriage Forms and Functions
Mate Choice and Marriage Finance
Family
Residence Patterns
Summary
© 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved
DIAGRAMMING KINSHIP
Kinship diagrams are a
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but, It is not the most preferred: Monogamy is the ideal and preferred form of marriage in only 81 cultures out of a sample 400cultures.
(1967 survey)
As a result of divorce or death, many individuals in monogamous societies will be in a series of monogamous marriages over the course of their lives.
(This is sometimes referred to as a serial monogamy)
POLYGAMY
Polygamy means multiple spouses and does not distinguish between these two marriage types.
© 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved
Polygamy refers to marriage in which there is more than one spouse(poly means many, and gamy means marriage),
It is a word that the media use, but it is a poor choice because it does not indicate wether there are many husbands or many wives.
Polygyny is a marriage of one man to two or more women.
Polyandry is a marriage of one woman to two or more men.
© 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, all rights reserved
polygyny
- Cross cultural research indicates that this is the preferred form of marriage in 314 cultures out of 400(79%).
This research surveyed societies with populations numbering in the millions as well as those with populations of fewer than 100, so keep in mind that the percentage of cultures practicing a custom is not the same as the number of people worldwide who practice the custom.
many societies have cultural rules that permit marrying multiple partners, but, economic realities often interfere with a man’s ability to have multiple
This article surprised me due to the fact that the idea that a wife can have more than one husband never crossed my mind. I had been aware of men having more than one wife, but never a wife having more than one husband. This completely opposes other cultures that I have learned about because in most cultures, men are the dominant power. This article suggests the opposite, that women actually acquire more power to those in other cultures. The idea of a polyandry type of marriage always interested me since I had been taught my whole life that, “love conquers all.” I had been raised with the idea that people settle with only one
As Anthropologist Kimber McKay challenged the world’s outlook on what we believe to be a traditional, normal marriage, I was intrigued by the results of her fieldwork that displayed the different types of marriages occurring around the world. In her research in the Nepalese Himalaya, she lived within the community of polyandrous people participating in their daily life. In Humla, it was common for a polyandrous woman to marry a man and his brothers. McKay shared a video from a polyandrous woman that described the relationship she had with her two husbands. Here are her words: “If the husbands agree with it (polyandry) then it’s good. One can take care of the local work and the other can do outside work.” I hypothesize the reason polyandry
Despite the argument that polygamist lifestyles are easier, polygamy has proven time and time again, to be a terrible lifestyle that has been dolled up to look like something that it is not. Polygamist families are often unable to meet their basic needs, “In spite of our poverty, my husband continued to marry other wives. I almost died from typhoid fever and my first baby died” (Spencer 1). The health and well-being is the last thing on the mind of a husband living in polygamy because he is constantly wanting more for himself. All of the sister wives are so in love with their husband, what they do not know is that he does not really love them, if he did he would
Polygamy is the case in which a man or a woman has multiple spouses. One branch of polygamy is termed “polygyny”, which is when “one man is married to several wives” (Zeitzen 3).
In spite of the biological tendency to favor one mate at a time, marriage systems, however, have changed into many different forms, like polygamy (one husband and many wives), polyandry (one wife and many husbands), patriarchy (male rule),or matriarchy (female rule). These changes have largely happened for economic reasons. In other words, historically, marriage systems have reflected economic factors of the time. Thus, marriage encompasses an endless variety of combinations joined by a legal contract heavily influenced by economics. Clearly, economics is more powerful than biology.
What is the true definition of polygamy? Dictionary.com says that it is the practice or condition of having more than one spouse, especially wife, at one time. This definition is most certainly true, but there is so much more to know about polygamy. Polygamy is practiced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. The most common form of polygamy that is practiced is when one man is married to multiple wives. However, the opposite can also be practiced, although it is not as common. Polygamy is not a very common ritual in the United States; however, in other parts of the world, this is a very common lifestyle.
A study of closed societies in which polygamous relationships are practiced demonstrate certain sociological traits. These traits are related to the societies’ ideas concerning the intent and moral goals related to marriage. They are often determined by religious practice and considered to be a requirement for heavenly blessings.
Polygamy is the practice of having multiple spouses at one time, and has been considered a controversial social and legal topic in society, gaining attention as a subject in which multiple opinions are held. As the topic has become a part of mainstream culture through media accounts of polygamist families by news outlets and reality television, confusion has emerged in reference to its main characteristics and legitimacy as a form of marriage. However, this kind of marriage is intriguing because it enters more than two individuals into the union, potentially causing a change in husband-wife dynamics. In particular, polygamy with multiple wives proves to be more common in media accounts of these relationships. That being said, appreciating this form of marriage, as in any union, requires an understanding of how the different social players behave and the general interactions of the husband-wife relationships. Likewise, it is important to understand how this type of union exemplifies the typical United States ideals of marriage. With more information regarding polygamist marriages, society can better understand its similarities and differences from normative patterns, ultimately eliminating some of the stigma placed on the husbands and wives of these relationships.
Polygamy is the custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. Polygamy
In Western culture, there have been attempts to establish polygamist groups, primarily based upon differing religious viewpoints; however, most of these have not been able to withstand the pressure applied by the religious and cultural majority. If one wants to live and prosper in a given society, it is not advantageous to swim too hard against the current.
A recent article about Polygamy in the Washington Post argues that polygamy could be the next popular issue besides gay marriage. However the reason being that is not currently making as the main issues about marriages is that polygamy existence since biblical times. Because gender is displayed as heteronormative in the influence of polygamy it is seen as the lesser of the two evils between that and gay marriage. Article argues about how the doctrine of marriage is perceived through recent times and religion is a justification factor that makes it OK for one man to marry multiple women regardless of the religion discontinuing the practice of polygamy.
Polygamy is the practice of being married to more than one person simultaneously; also known as plural marriage. “Traditionally, polygamy has been practised in Hindu, Islamic, and Christian (Mormon) societies, among others” (Chittom) Polygamy is illegal in the united states, however it is still practiced. In fact, polygamy is becoming more widespread. According to the Daily Beast, “In 2001, only 7 percent of Americans deemed polygamy morally acceptable. Now 16 percent find it morally acceptable. (Allen) Plural marriage is becoming more popular. “Rough estimates place the polygamous population in the U.S. is somewhere between 50,000 to 100,000 people” (Allen) Even though plural marriage is illegal in most 1st world countries, “Polygamy remains a common practice
Polygamy is the practice of being married to one or more person at the same time. Polygamy exists in three specific forms polygyny wherein a man has multiple simultaneous wives; polyandry where in a woman has multiple simultaneous husbands. Woman has multiple simultaneous husbands; or group marriages wherein the family unit consists of multiple husbands and multiple wives.
“In Defense of Polygamy” Aisha Lemu discusses her beliefs on Polygamy. Polygamy is a form of marriage where a man or women is allowed to have more than one spouse. Most of the time it occurs in the form of Polygyny; were a man has more than one wife. Mrs. Lemu states that it is possible that Polygamy has its benefits, and it could have tremendous effects on any community.
Normal marriage would me monogamy, which consist only two partners. Polygamy marriage can include a man married to more than on wife at a time, or a woman married to more than on husband at a time. People who wants to have polygamy marriage lifestyle are commonly married to one spouse and cohabitating with the other spouses since polygamy is illegal in the U.S. Polygamist families tend to make up a very small portion of American household. Polygamy is officially and broadly practiced in more than eight hundred societies worldwide. It has been the focus of a substantial augmentation in public, political, and academic awareness throughout the last two decades. A number of research papers came out all through this time, primarily focusing on the influence of polygamy on behavioral, emotional, and educational alteration of children.