Essay about Anthro: Marriage and Native American Religions

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Anthro 102
Exam 2: Article Notes

Article 14: When Brothers Share a Wife * Three Tibetan brothers are about to enter fraternal polyandry * This is the ideal form of marriage and family in Tibet * Arranged by parents * Eldest brother is dominant in terms of authority * All brothers share the work and participate as sexual partners * Offspring are treated equally and there’s no attempt to link children biologically to one brother * Tibetans choose polyandry for materialistic regions * Fraternal polyandry allows for only one set of heirs * Joint families are unstable because each wife is focused one her own children * Problems: older brother has the authority so younger brothers subordinate themselves * The wife shows equal affection and sexuality to each brother but deviations occur when there is a large difference in age between partners * False explanations: 1) Tibetans practice female infanticide and therefore have to marry polyandrously 2) The high altitudes of Tibet is so barren that they would otherwise starve * Younger brothers opt for this system in order to attain or maintain the “good life” of a well off family * Splitting off from the family has disadvantages * It is difficult to farm and manage animals on your own (brothers usually share this work)

Article 15: Death Without Weeping * Nancy Scheper-Hughes (a peace corps volunteer) went to a shantytown in Brazil * There she witnessed political repression, violence, poverty, and death-especially in children * The death of a baby did not seem to appear a tragedy: mothers were almost casual and indifferent * She recorded the lives of mothers and their children * The relationship between chronic child loss and poverty and a mother’s ability to express maternal love is the central theme * Conditions of high fertility and high infant mortality prevail * The death of a child is the norm for poor families * Mothers do not grieve when a child dies * Mothers invest only in those infants likely to survive and distance themselves psychologically from vulnerable infants and withdraw love and care * This rejects current research on mother-infant interaction and the belief that mother love is a universal phenomenon

Article 16: Arranging a Marriage in India * Young men and women in India do not date and have very little social life involving members of the opposite sex * “In America, girls spend their time worrying about whether they will meet a man and get married.” * “In India, women have the chance to enjoy life and let their parents do this work and worrying for them.” * Arranged marriages allow for mystery and excitement so to speak. It allows for the whole of your married life to get to know and love your spouse * A family’s reputation is the most important thing * Matches are arranged within the same social class * Dowry is an important factor influencing the relationship between the bride’s and groom’s families and the treatment of the bride at home * A family that has a reputation for gossip and conflict will not find it easy to get good spouses * Choosing a wife is a tedious process * Skin color is even a consideration * A family with too many daughters isn’t a good candidate because there are too many daughters to provide dowry for * The women cannot be too independent * Height, weight, and looks are factors * The girl chosen was from a family that owned a successful business * She was pretty and chic; she also studied fashion * Modest, home-loving, and traditional * The boy’s family waited for the daughter’s family to approach them * The eventually got married

Article 17: Who Needs Love! * In Japan, many couples don’t * The divorce rate is high, yet still lower than U.S. * Japan has one of the strongest family structures * Couples expect little * “She’s
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