MARRIAGE

MARRIAGE A more common form of marriage which is classified among

the so-called harmful traditional practices in Ethiopia is
Defined as basically a sexual union between a man and a
called child marriage. This form of marriage takes place in
woman such that children born to the woman are
manner whereby concerned parties agree to arrange the
considered the legitimate offspring of both parents. The
marriage of a young girl (as young as below ten years of
main purpose of marriage is to create new social
age in some parts of Ethiopia) to usually an older person.
relationships, rights and obligations between the spouses
However, child marriage may not always involve a young girl
and their kin, and to establish the rights and status of
being married to an older man. The focus is on the physical,
children when they are born. In traditional, simple societies,
psychological immaturity of the girl and how these
marriage is often more of a relationship between groups
conditions may result in serious social, physical,
than one between individuals. In industrial societies, it is
psychological and other consequences for the young girl.
more of individual matter. The idea of romantic love is less
common in traditional (non-industrial) societies. Marriage in FORMS OF MARRIAGE
industrial societies joins individuals and relationship between
 Monogamy – one to one marriage; male to female
individuals can be severed (broken) more easily than those
 Polygamy – one to many marriage
between groups (Olson and De Frain, 1999).
 Polyandry – one woman married to more than one male
TYPES OF MARRIAGE at a time
 Fraternal polyandry – two or more brothers taking one
Generally, marriage is classified into monogamy and
woman as their wife
polygamy. Monogamy is marriage which involves usually a
 Polygyny – one male marrying more than one wife at a
man and a woman; it is a one to one marriage.
time
Monogamous marriage is very common in most societies of
 Wife inheritance / Levirate marriage – a man entitled to
the world. Polygamy (also called plural marriage) is
marry his deceased brother’s or close relative’s wife
permitted in many cultures. The two kinds of polygamy are
 Sororate marriage – a man entitle to marry the sister or
polygyny and polyandry. The former involves multiple wives
close relative of his deceased wife
( a man marrying more than one woman at a time) and the
 Child marriage / arranged marriage – physically/
latter involves multiple husbands (i.e. one woman married to
mentally immature, young girl given in marriage usually
more than one man at a time). Polygyny and polyandry are
to an older man.
found in various social and cultural contexts and occur for
many reasons; polygyny is much more common than RULES OF MARRIAGE
polyandry. The most common form of polyandrous
 Endogamy – marriage rule which requires that people
marriage is termed as fraternal polyandry, which involve two
marry within their own social group (own tribe,
or more brothers taking a single woman as their wife.
nationality, religion, race, community, social class, etc.)
Polyandrous marriage is very rare and it occurs in mainly in
 Exogamy – requires that people marry outside a group
South Asian societies such as Tibet, Burma, Nepal, India and
to which they belong. It bars marriage within smaller
so on. There are demographic, economic, ecological and
inner circle i.e. one’s own close relatives. One of the
other reasons for plural marriages. In Ethiopia, plural
main concerns of exogamous marriage rule is
marriages, particularly a man marrying more than one
prohibition of incest i.e. marrying or sexual contact
woman is common in most southern and southwestern parts
between blood relatives.
and Muslim societies.
MARRIAGE PAYMENTS
There are also some other forms of marriage arrangements
identified by sociocultural anthropologists. One of these is Marriage is regarded as a contractual agreement between
called levirate marriage, which is a form of marriage different parties (groups), examining rights and values
whereby a man is entitled to inherit the wife of his deceased transferred and the various economic and political rights and
brother or close relative. This practice may also be called interests. The terms of marriage may thus include bride
wife inheritance. This form of marriage is common in some service, which is the labor service provided for the parents of
parts of Ethiopia and elsewhere in traditional societies, the bride ( or the would-be wife) by the bridegroom (or the
despite it may be declining these days. The converse of would-be husband); bride price, which is marriage payment
levirate marriage is termed as sororate marriage, which made to the bride and/or her group in terms of money and
entitles a man to take as wife a sister or close relative of his material gifts by the bride groom and dowry, which refers to
deceased wife. marriage gifts made to the bridegroom usually by the bride
and her family.