Sexual Regulations

1
Sexual Regulations

• Who is allowed/prohibited as partner age,
  relationship, consent
• When allowed/prohibitedabstinence, taboos
  menstrual, post-partum
• Where allowed/prohibited
• Positions allowed/prohibited

2
Incest Taboo

• Holds for parents and siblings in all current
  societies
• Only exceptions in pastBrother-Sister mating
  among royalty in ancient Egypt, Hawaii, Inca

3
Explanations for incest taboo

• Biological predisposition
• Deleterious genetic defects
• Aids family unity by
• Minimizing sexual competition within family
• Avoiding role disruption within family
• Increases network of cooperation, spread ideas as
  well as genes

4
Extension of incest rules

• As a minimum, incest taboo covers the immediate
  family parents and siblings
• Taboo often extends to cover a lineage and even a
  clan
• Problem in U.S. how to deal with problem of sex
  with step-relatives

5
Rules of Marriage

• Exogamy marry outside of such group as
• Immediate family/lineage/clan
• Village
• Endogamy marry fellow member
• Legal rule caste, race
• Religious rule
• Social preference

6
Marriage

• Defines relations of pair to each other, their
  kin, future offspring and society
• Traditional reasons for marriage
• Gain adult status
• Sexual division of labor
• To have legitimate children
• Economic and political considerations

7

• Traditionally, in most societies, marriage was
  primarily an alliance between kin groups rather
  than between individuals.

8
Cross-cultural variations

• Couple may not live together
• Couple may not have joint property
• Father may not be required to support children
• There may be little shared social life

9

• Spouse may not have sexual monopoly
• Marriage may continue although one partner died

10
Ways of finding a partner

• Arranged marriagestill occurs in
  India/Pakistan/Middle East
• Family consentcommon in Africa, Latin America,
  Asia
• Free choice

11
Bridewealth

• Payment by grooms family to brides family
• Purposes
• Legalizes marriage and legitimizes offspring
• In patrilineal system, gives father the right to
  have the children belong to his group

12

• Compensates brides family for loss of her
  services and allows them to replace her with
  daughter-in-law
• Serves to ally families, those who receive share
  of payment are witnesses to marriage
• Status symbol for both families
• Guarantee of husbands good behavior

13
Bridewealth

• Bride is married, not sold.
• Distinction between slave who has no rights in
  natal family and bride who is still a member.
• Continuing relation between a womans children
  and her relatives.

14
Other forms of exchange

• Bride service groom works for brides family
• Dowry payment by brides family to bride and/or
  to grooms family
• Exchange of goods relatives on both sides
  exchange gifts

15
Marriage forms

• Monogamyone wife and one husbandonly legal
  alternative in ¼ of sample of societies¾ of
  sample allow some form of plural marriage

16

• Polygamy has been the cultural ideal in most
  societies. But monogamy is the statistical
  reality in all societies.

17
Polygyny

• Advantages for man
• Many children
• Prestige
• Wealth produced by wives and children
• Sex partners often many taboos
• Political alliances with in-laws

18
Polygyny

• Advantages for woman
• Prestige and wealth of household
• Share housework and childcare
• Less child bearing
• Companionship
• Greater freedom and autonomy
• Can easily get married

19
Polygyny

• Works best when roles are institutionalized
• Husband advised to treat each wife equally
• Hut complex
• Rotation system
• Clear inheritance rules
• Sororal polygyny

20

• Women in a polygynous marriage dont necessarily
  hold a low status. Womens position depends upon
  their economic situation, rights to divorce and
  remarry,political influence

21
Polyandry

• Marriage of a women to two or more men
• Men are usually already related, either brothers
  or trading partners

22
Rules of Residence

• Patrilocal Wife joins husbands family
• Matrilocal Husband joins wifes family
• Neolocal Couple form new residence

23
Extended family

• 3 generation family
• Advantages
• Companionship
• Economic stability
• Help with elder care and child care
• Flexibility
• Capital accumulation

24

• Disadvantages
• Loss of privacy
• Authority of elders