Types of marriage (monogamy, polygamy, polyandry, group marriage)

Introduction

Marriage is a social cornerstone for uniting males and females to create a family. It has vital importance in the reproductive significance of the universal concept. Marriage can unite two sets of families in a connubial brace. The two people who tie the knot together in a marriage share their responsibility. It gives marriage a unique dimension. Marriage is a cultural multipart to define the interpersonal relationship of a married couple. There is diversity in marriage prototypes. It is an institution that also deals with the potential conflict adjoining access to sexual relations. Every culture has different rules for direct access to each other and is inclined to legitimate childbearing.

Types of marriage

Marriage amalgamates two individuals of different sex with community approval. But it differs from community to community. The degree and approach of marriage are mainly divided into two types-monogamy and polygamy. Monogamy can be divided into serial and non-serial monogamy. On the other hand, polygamy can be divided into polygyny, polyandry, and group marriage. Polygyny and polyandry are also divided into a few subtypes respectively- sororal polygyny, non-sororal polygyny, fraternal polyandry, and non-fraternal polyandry. Here in this tutorial, we will discuss some main types. Here we use pedigree charts to understand those facts.

Monogamy

Monogamy is a process where one man can marry a single woman to settle down a family.

It assists the easiest rules of succession, inheritance, and kin membership. In the community of Kondh, Santhal, and Oraon, they prefer such a type of marriage. This form is also popular in the Indian Hindu community.

Polygamy

Polygamy is the process where more than two people of opposite sex tie knots together. This form can be classified as polygyny, polyandry, and group marriage.

When two or more females marry one single man, it is called polygyny. The people of the community like Gond and Kharia prefer the forms of polygyny. Obligatory celibacy, desire for variation and more children, early ageing, financial inevitability, social prestige, and culture can be the reason for polygyny emergence.

The people of Todo, Khasa, and Nayars are preferred to have a polyandry form of marriage.

Polyandry

Polyandry is a sub-form of polygamy that portrays the marriage ceremony between one single woman and two or more males. Polyandry emerges in poverty bride price, population control, joint family culture, and numerical strength inequality.

It is of two types-fraternal or adelphic polyandry and non-fraternal or non-adelphic polyandry. Fraternal polyandry refers to the marriage between the bride and groom who are related through blood.

Non-fraternal polyandry refers to the marriage between the bride and groom who are not related by blood.

Group marriage

In Group marriage or cenogamy, a group of women marries a group of men. Each female is considered the wife of every male in the group and vice-versa. Though it rarely occurs or is on an experimental basis, the Toda tribe of Nilgiri, India, and some tribes of New Guinea and Africa practice this type of marriage.

Rules of Endogamy and exogamy

Endogamy and exogamy are the types of marriage that occur internally or externally in a social group or community. Exogamy is a social rule in which one can marry outside his or her community or kin group. Exogamous marriage improves sociability and connects people of various groups to create diversity. In endogamy, an individual should have to marry inside his or her community. Endogamy is not as familiar as exogamy. Endogamy is the practice to preserve the cultural identity of a community. In this ritual, one has to choose her or his partner from the same caste or tribe. It is supported, rationalized, and durable. According to some cultures, a higher caste individual will be polluted if they got touch with a lower caste individual. Endogamy helps to set apart two groups from each other.

Conclusion

Marriage is a social culture where one man marries one woman or vice versa. They create a family. Marriage has great importance in this society. It gives access to sex and childbirth. Marriage can be endogamous or exogamous. Endogamy holds the marriage ceremony inside a community whereas exogamy refers to marriage outside the community. Endogamy preserves cultural individuality and exogamy creates variety. Marriage is mainly classified into monogamy and polygamy. These two have several sub and super groups such as polygyny, polyandry, group marriage, and many more.

FAQs

Q1. What is serial and non-serial monogamy?

Ans. Serial monogamy shows that one man can remarry after the death of his first wife. In non-serial monogamy, there is no scope for a second marriage, the bride, and groom have to stay together till death.

Q2. Give examples of different types of polygyny.

Ans. Polygyny can be divided into sororal and non-sororal. In sororal, the brides are the sisters of the groom whereas in non-sororal, brides and groom are not related to each other by blood.

Q3. Is there any other type of marriage that exists? Explain briefly.

Ans. Yes. The other forms of marriage are levirate marriage, sororate marriage, cross-cousin marriage, parallel cousin marriage, and familiar marriage.

Levirate is a marriage ceremony where a woman marries her late husband’s elder or younger brother (senior or junior levirate). In sororate, a man can marry his late wife’s sister. It can also be classified as senior or junior sororate. One can marry his mother’s brother’s daughter or father’s sister’s daughter. Kharia and Oraon's tribe practices this cross-cousin marriage. In parallel cousin marriage, one can marry his mother’s sister’s daughter or father’s brother’s daughter e.g. khadar community.