Wa0005.

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DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Anthropology
Lecture - 01
MARRIAGE-01 (Unit - 2.3)
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MARRIAGE-01 (Unit - 2.3)
Topics covered from the Syllabus-

 Definition and universality.
 Laws of marriage (endogamy, exogamy, incest taboo).
MARRIAGE: Definition and Universality
 George Peter Murdock :
 In Social Structure (1949), he defined marriage as a universal institution that

involves residential cohabitation, and economic cooperation, and leads to the
formation of a nuclear family.
 Exception: Nayar Community
 Edward Westermarck:
 In 'History of Human marriage' (1891) defined, “Marriage is a relation of one or

more men to one or more women which is recognized by customs or law and
involves certain rights and duties both in case of parties entering into the union
and in the case of children born of it.".
 Exception: Excludes homosexuality eg Azande of Sudan
 Kathleen Gough:
 In her study of the Nayars (1959), she defined marriage as a 'relationship

established between a woman and one or more other persons, which provides
that a child born to a woman under circumstances not prohibited by the rules of
the relationship, is accorded full birth-status rights common to normal members
of his society or social stratum'.
 Exception: Nandi of Kenya.
 William N. Stephens :
 He defined marriage as "a socially legitimate sexual union, begun with public
pronouncement undertaken with the idea of permanence, assumed with more or
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less explicit marriage contract which spells out reciprocal economic obligations
between spouses, and their future children'
 Exception: Live-in relationship, Nayars
 Notes and Queries on Anthropology 1951:
 "Marriage is a union between a man and a woman such that the children born to
the woman are recognized as legitimate offspring of both partners".
 Exception: Homosexuality , Polygamy not considered Eg - Jaunsar community

of Uttarakhand.
 Malinowski:
 A legal marriage is one which gives a woman a socially recognized husband and
her children a socially recognized father.”
 Exception: Polygamy not considered, Nayar
 Radcliffe Brown:
 Marriage is a social arrangement by which a child is given a legitimate position in

society determined by parenthood in the social sense.
 Exception: Live in relationship
 Edmund Leach:
 Identify the legal mother of a man's and a woman's children as well as their legal
parents.
 Give one or both partners a monopoly on the other's sexuality.
 Give one or both spouses the right to the other's labor.
 Assign one or both spouses ownership of the other's assets.
 Establish a joint fund or property—a partnership-for the benefit of the children.
 Establish a socially significant "relationship of affinity" between spouses and their

relatives.
MARRIAGE: Laws of Marriage

1. Endogamy
2. Exogamy
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3. Incest Taboo
4. Hypergamy
5. Hypogamy
 Endogamy:
 Mc Lennen in his book ‘Primitive marriages’ defined the word “Endogamy”.
 According to the endogamic norm, a person must marry someone who belongs to
the same defined or determined group as them.
 Forms:
1) Caste System in India ( Hypergamy / anuloma -> boy of higher status)
2) Sub-Caste: e.g. Thakur caste or Tyagi Caste in U.P.
3) Ethnic: e.g. Nagas and Khasi
4) Race
5) Class
Advantages/Reasons: Disadvantages:
1) Keep up the numerical force ( Tribals : Eg -Nagas) 1) Restricts the mate selection
2) to preserve the line (Ancient Egyptians) 2) Ethnocentrism
3) ethnic and religious customs Using a Parsi example 3) Regionalism
4) Sense of Unity ( According to William Brown ) 4) Health
5) Behavioral/Cultural aspect
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 Exogamy:
 Mc Lennen in his book ‘Primitive marriages’ defined the word “Exogamy”.
 Marriage outside of one's social group is customary.
 Forms:
A. Gotra system
B. Deity: eg Vittu Peramal
C. Clan: eg: Muria Gond (Chhattisgarh)
D. Parvara: Common saint concept
Advantages/Reasons: Disadvantages:
❖ Childhood Familiarity - Westermarck ❖ Moving out – disadvantage
❖ Alliance Creation (Levi-Strauss’s (monetary)
Theory) ❖ Cultural Contrast: University of
❖ Stability and peace Helsinki (Finland)- leading to
❖ Health (Broad Gene-pool) divorce.
❖ Diversify mate selection
 Incest Taboo:
 Incest : Sexual intercourse between individuals related in a certain degree of

kinship (According to the Seligman, a thinker) OR "Intimacy with a blood
relative".
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 Incest Taboo Theories:
1) Biological Degeneration/Inbreeding Theory - C.H.Morgan (an Evolutionary

Thinker)
Eg: Australopithecus (4 to 1 mya).
2) Family Disruption Theory-Malinowski
 In order to prevent the family from disruption Incest Taboo is formed.
3) Childhood Familiarity Theory by Westermarck
 Incest taboo in the form of Exogamy.
4) Psychoanalytic Theory by Freud
 According to this theory a strong sexual relation exists between two

persons of a closely related family like mother and son, and father and
daughter. But during the process of socialization these sexual feelings of
children are depressed due to fear from parents.
5) Cooperation / Alliance Theory by Levi-Strauss
 According to it, only this universal prohibition of incest pushes human

groups towards exogamy. Thus, inside a given society, certain categories
of kin are forbidden to intermarry.
6) Instinctive Horror by R. H. Lowie
 According to it, our brain is genetically programmed for certain incest.
Eg: No sexual Attraction towards mother.


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1

MARRIAGE-01 (Unit - 2.3)

Topics covered from the Syllabus-

 Laws of marriage (endogamy, exogamy, incest taboo).

MARRIAGE: Definition and Universality

 George Peter Murdock :

 In Social Structure (1949), he defined marriage as a universal institution that

 Exception: Nayar Community

 In 'History of Human marriage' (1891) defined, “Marriage is a relation of one or

 Exception: Excludes homosexuality eg Azande of Sudan

 In her study of the Nayars (1959), she defined marriage as a 'relationship

 Exception: Nandi of Kenya.

 Exception: Live-in relationship, Nayars

 Notes and Queries on Anthropology 1951:

 Exception: Homosexuality , Polygamy not considered Eg - Jaunsar community

 Exception: Polygamy not considered, Nayar

 Marriage is a social arrangement by which a child is given a legitimate position in

 Exception: Live in relationship

 Give one or both partners a monopoly on the other's sexuality.

 Give one or both spouses the right to the other's labor.

 Assign one or both spouses ownership of the other's assets.

 Establish a joint fund or property—a partnership-for the benefit of the children.

 Establish a socially significant "relationship of affinity" between spouses and their

MARRIAGE: Laws of Marriage

 Mc Lennen in his book ‘Primitive marriages’ defined the word “Endogamy”.

1) Caste System in India ( Hypergamy / anuloma -> boy of higher status)

2) Sub-Caste: e.g. Thakur caste or Tyagi Caste in U.P.

3) Ethnic: e.g. Nagas and Khasi

2) to preserve the line (Ancient Egyptians) 2) Ethnocentrism

3) ethnic and religious customs Using a Parsi example 3) Regionalism

4) Sense of Unity ( According to William Brown ) 4) Health

 Mc Lennen in his book ‘Primitive marriages’ defined the word “Exogamy”.

 Marriage outside of one's social group is customary.

B. Deity: eg Vittu Peramal

C. Clan: eg: Muria Gond (Chhattisgarh)

D. Parvara: Common saint concept

❖ Childhood Familiarity - Westermarck ❖ Moving out – disadvantage

❖ Alliance Creation (Levi-Strauss’s (monetary)

Theory) ❖ Cultural Contrast: University of

❖ Stability and peace Helsinki (Finland)- leading to

❖ Health (Broad Gene-pool) divorce.

❖ Diversify mate selection

 Incest : Sexual intercourse between individuals related in a certain degree of

 Incest Taboo Theories:

1) Biological Degeneration/Inbreeding Theory - C.H.Morgan (an Evolutionary

Eg: Australopithecus (4 to 1 mya).

2) Family Disruption Theory-Malinowski

 In order to prevent the family from disruption Incest Taboo is formed.

3) Childhood Familiarity Theory by Westermarck

 Incest taboo in the form of Exogamy.

4) Psychoanalytic Theory by Freud

 According to this theory a strong sexual relation exists between two

5) Cooperation / Alliance Theory by Levi-Strauss

 According to it, only this universal prohibition of incest pushes human

6) Instinctive Horror by R. H. Lowie

 According to it, our brain is genetically programmed for certain incest.

Eg: No sexual Attraction towards mother.

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