Exam 11: Marriage
In a study among the Hopi of northeastern Arizona, more than a third of the women of the community had been divorced at least once, which correlates with the fact that these women were socially and economically insecure.
False
Polygyny, although formally outlawed, has survived in Turkey since the Ottoman period, when having several wives was viewed as a symbol of power, wealth, and sexual prowess.Unlike in the past, when the practice was customary and not illegal, polygyny can put contemporary women at risk.How?
B
How would you explain the near universality of the incest taboo? You may draw on one or more explanations.
The near universality of the incest taboo can be explained by a combination of psychological, social, and evolutionary factors. From a psychological perspective, the incest taboo may be rooted in the Westermarck effect, which suggests that individuals who are raised together during early childhood are less likely to be sexually attracted to each other later in life. This phenomenon may have evolved as a way to prevent inbreeding and maintain genetic diversity within a population.
From a social perspective, the incest taboo serves to maintain social order and prevent conflict within families. Incestuous relationships can lead to power imbalances, jealousy, and competition, which can disrupt the stability of a family unit. By prohibiting incest, societies are able to maintain clear boundaries and expectations for familial relationships.
Additionally, the incest taboo may also be influenced by cultural and religious beliefs. Many cultures and religions have strict rules against incest, often citing moral or spiritual reasons for the prohibition. These cultural and religious norms are passed down through generations, contributing to the near universality of the incest taboo.
Overall, the near universality of the incest taboo can be attributed to a combination of psychological, social, and cultural factors that have evolved over time to promote genetic diversity, social stability, and cultural norms.
A cross-cultural study that systematically compared romantic love in many cultures found
What is the term that anthropologists use to refer to the biological father of a child?
With unilineal descent, sex with cross cousins is proper, but sex with parallel cousins is considered incestuous.Why?
One theory regarding the universality of the incest taboo argues that by forcing people to marry outside their immediate kin group, peaceful alliances between people would extend to include a greater number of individuals.
In South Sudan, a Nuer woman can marry a woman if her father has only daughters but no male heirs.This is done to maintain the patrilineage.The "wife" has sex with one or more men until she gets pregnant.The children born are then accepted as the offspring of both the female husband and the wife.What is important in this example is
Polygynous marriages often serve important economic and political functions, with the number of wives a man has serving as an indicator of his wealth, prestige, and status.
Cultures have different definitions and expectations of relationships that are biologically or genetically equivalent.In other words, kinship is socially constructed.
Early anthropologists explained incest taboos as a reflection of "instinctive horror" of mating with close relatives.However, this explanation for incest taboos has been rejected because formal incest restrictions would be unnecessary if humans really do have an instinctive aversion to incest.
In a society with two exogamous lineages or moieties, who is the preferred cross-cousin bride for a male ego?
The rise in female employment in the United States, especially in professional careers, when coupled with ________, has dramatically increased household incomes in the upper classes.This pattern has been one factor sharpening the contrast in household income between the richest and poorest populations of Americans.
Using what you know about cross-cultural comparisons of marital practices, discuss the following statement: Serial monogamy is the result of a cultural emphasis on individualism, whereas polygamy is the result of a cultural emphasis on social responsibility.
The biological degeneration explanation for the incest taboo has won over supporters because of universal concerns about biology.
A Nuer woman married to a woman can be the pater of a child she did not father.Native American berdaches, biological men who represent a third gender, sometimes assume the role of a wife when married to a man with whom they share the products of their labor.Cross-cultural examples such as these illustrate
What term refers to one of two descent groups in a given population?
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