Intra-Status Marriages

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the unusual form of the intra-status marriage, also known as status-level endogamy. According to the paper, these are marriages between brothers and sisters or fathers and daughters, which have been described by the aboriginal Hawaiians, the Incas and the ancient Egyptians. In an attempt to evaluate the normative value of these marriages, this paper examines the definition and scope of marriage throughout history and across cultures; discusses marriages of socially approved sexual unions; and investigates marriages of economic unions. The paper concludes that, issues of incest aside, intra-status marriages fulfill all of the requirements for marriage as defined in a general cultural anthropology text. They are, the paper asserts, socially approved sexual unions, which have important economic purposes.

Outline
What is Marriage?
Socially Approved Sexual Unions
Economic Union
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In all three instances, there is an aura of divinity or great power surrounding the ruling family. For the early Hawaiians, an explanation may be couched in terms of the preservation of the intangible power of mana. For the ancient Egyptians and the Inca, on the other hand, there is a more concrete connection to the divine, and to the notion of divine right.Among the early Hawaiians, the small but powerful ruling class of chiefs was called ali'i. According to Hazama, the ali'i had sacred power because of the mana or divine power they possessed (9). There is no direct translation into English of the term mana. Linton characterizes it as the "power for accomplishment" (54). Thus, any object or person that performed beyond the ordinary, such as a fishhook that caught more than the usual number of fish or the chief who was more than usually good at diplomatic maneuvering, showed that it had good mana."

More papers on Intra-Status Marriages:

• Book Review # 117115 : "Marriages in "Middlemarch"
• Argumentative Essay # 2832 : "Same-Sex Marriages"
• Analytical Essay # 138298 : "The Status of Women in Early Irish Society"

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