Polygamy,
Bride Wealth
Dowries
Marriage patterns exogamy or
endogamy?
Household patterns
monogamy,
polyandry
Kinship as social organizer
in various sized social units?
Household types South Africa
Types of subsistence
strategies?
Foraging social
Horticulturist social elements?
elements?
Central American farmers create sustainable
alternatives to slash-and-burn farming
A new kind of foraging
Dowry
A gift from the husband and
his kin to the wife and her
A marital exchange in
which the wife’s group
provides substantial gifts to
the husband’s family.
This has long been
practiced in places such as
India.
kin before, at, or after
marriage.
Bride wealth often legitimizes
children born to the woman
as members of the husband’s
descent group.
Monogamous
only one woman should be
married to one man at a time
Polygamous
one person can be married to
more than one person
simultaneously
Polygyny
Bride wealth can also be
marriage of one man and more
‘paid’ by the groom working
than one woman
for the bride’s family for a
time.
Polyandry
marriage of one woman with
The bride price or bride
more than one man
wealth system constitutes
assumes an important role in
the distribution of family
property and the arrangement
of exchanges and alliances
among families in many
societies
Household types and
patterns:
This includes all the
varying combinations of
people living in a
Endogamy is a rule that requires
marriage within a specific social
group (ethnicity, class, religion
etc.) or kin group.
-
gave you for the changing
(maximal social unit) the
more prominent the role of
kinship as an organizing
subunit.
who you trade with
household.
Consult the handout that I
who you marry tends to be
The smaller the society
Exogamy is a rule that requires
marriage outside of one’s own
social group or kin group.
The larger the society, the
more varied the types of
organizing subunits.
household dynamics in the
U.S.
Australia and Britain are
among those countries
whose household patterns
are changing from nuclear
-
Exogamous relationships
tend to extend
relationships to prevent
war and to create
alliances.
The larger the society
(maximal social unit), the
more the subunits will be
organized on principles
other than kinship.
families as most common to
single person families, etc.
Economic and social
changes account for
household type changes.
•
Horticulture is sometimes
•
99 percent of their existence.
called gardening. Often
includes slash and burn
•
techniques.
Political organization: tribe
Basis of economics: reciprocity and
redistribution
Social stratification: egalitarian
•
•
•
no real power
Ownership of property: leaders, but not
centralized
of age sets (groups of same-sex individuals
of similar age who move through many or
•
•
•
ridicule, avoidance
Formal methods include: formalized
punishment or requirements of
compensation.
Religion: “Bigman” or shamans emerge in
some tribes.
Relatively high warfare in some groups,
but not in others.
plants using a simple, nonmechanized technology.
•
Pastoralism (herding): food
getting strategy that depends
Ownership of property: little or no
on the care of domesticated
Kinship: family is of extreme
herds.
•
Agriculture: fields in
permanent cultivation using
Social control is through gossip,
ridicule, avoidance, but no formal
plows, animals, and
laws or punishments.
techniques of soil and water
Violators are often considered ill.
control.
Violence between members of the band
occurs (mostly quarrels over women),
but no warfare.
•
Horticulture: production of
Leadership style: no centralized
established through marriage.
all of life’s stages together).
Informal methods include: Gossip, gossip,
•
Social stratification: egalitarian.
exogamy. Ties between bands
Dani women, Indonesia
Social control often includes importance
Basis of economics: reciprocity.
importance. Bilateral kinship. Band
(extended families) develop along with
horticulture.
domestication of animals.
sense of personal ownership.
Type and importance of kinship: groups
population growth that comes with
(foraging): no domesticated
food production or
no power to coerce or demand.
•
Hunting and gathering
group of people from 20 to 80
leadership. Flexible and leaders have
•
•
Political organization: band – small
individuals.
Leadership style: headman with some
authority in group decision-making, but
Humans have been foragers for 90 to
Religion: no religious hierarchy or
full-time specialists.
•
Industrialization:
mechanization of
production.