AnthropologyLesson 4 of 4 in the course Forming Family through Kinship

Marriage, Residence, and Kinship Practices Across Cultures

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Marriage is more than a private relationship: it is a socially recognized union whose meaning and rules vary across cultures. This lesson introduces the anthropological definition of marriage and explains how marriage rules organize kinship and social relationships.

Anthropologists define marriage as the formation of a socially recognized union. The union may involve a man and a woman, two adults of any gender, or multiple spouses, depending on the society. Marriage commonly provides a structure for raising and nurturing children, including biological, adopted, or fostered children. However, reproduction is not a requirement in every marriage.

All flashcards

Marriage as a social institution
A socially recognized union that can organize caregiving, household cooperation, and alliances.
Incest taboo
A cultural prohibition on sexual relationships between people considered too closely related.
Neolocal residence
A postmarital residence pattern in which a couple establishes an independent household.
Fraternal polyandry
A form of polyandry in which brothers share one wife.
Ghost marriage
A marriage performed in the names of deceased people to establish or maintain an alliance.

Quiz questions

  1. Which arrangement describes polygyny?Answer: One man is married to more than one woman.
  2. Which arrangement describes polyandry?Answer: One woman is married to more than one man.
  3. A newly married couple lives with or near the groom's mother's brother. Which residence pattern is this?Answer: Avunculocal residence.
  4. Which form of marriage compensation transfers the groom's labor to the bride's family?Answer: Bride service.
  5. Why might a researcher ask a participant to review and correct a kinship chart?Answer: To let the participant correct the researcher's representation of family relationships.

Based on Introduction to Anthropology by Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, Marjorie M. Snipes (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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