While the question presupposes that a potential ‘trade’ takes place in marriage payments, I argue in this paper that the preoccupation with the ‘things’ traded in for instance most of the structural-functionalist analysis is mistaken. Much more, marriage payments are about social reproduction as a whole. In the course of the analysis, I want to qualify the manifest idea that things are ‘exchanged’ in marriage payments, either immediately or over time, as developed mainly by structural functionalists. According to the traditional paradigm, the single underlying formula is ‘money versus rights’. Rights in this context can relate to very diverging parts of social life as I will show below. Woman, children, sexuality are often - as structuralists such as Levi-Strauss (1977) argue - part of a wider system of potentially reciprocal exchanges. It is important, however, to not
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Dowry and Bridewealth
- The Wider Significance of Marriage Payments
- The Marxist Perspective on Marriage Payments
- A Different Perspective: Marriage Payments and Masculinity
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to challenge the traditional structural-functionalist interpretation of marriage payments, which primarily focuses on the exchange of 'things'. It argues that marriage payments are intricately linked to social reproduction as a whole, encompassing issues of lineage, kinship, and social hierarchies.
- The social and economic significance of marriage payments beyond a simple exchange of goods.
- The role of marriage payments in shaping social structures, alliances, and hierarchies.
- The influence of historical and economic contexts on the meaning and function of marriage payments.
- The intersection of marriage payments with concepts of gender, power, and social status.
- The importance of understanding local context and cultural nuances in interpreting marriage payment practices.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- The introduction provides a concise overview of the paper's focus, outlining the shortcomings of traditional structural-functionalist analysis and highlighting the importance of understanding marriage payments within a broader social context.
- The second chapter elaborates on the distinction between dowry and bridewealth, illustrating how these practices reflect different social and economic dynamics. While the structural-functionalist perspective emphasizes the exchange of wealth for rights, particularly regarding children, the chapter explores the complexities of these transactions within specific societies.
- The third chapter delves into the broader implications of marriage payments beyond the immediate exchange. It examines how these practices contribute to social reproduction, reinforcing kinship ties, maintaining lineages, and establishing social hierarchies.
- The fourth chapter introduces the Marxist perspective on marriage payments, highlighting their role in reinforcing structures of dominance and hierarchy. This chapter discusses how elders' control over marriage payments can influence social relationships and the reproduction of power structures.
- The fifth chapter explores a different perspective on marriage payments, focusing on their significance for the personal status and social mobility of men. The ethnographic case study of Niger reveals how marriage payments can signify masculinity and social acceptance in a contemporary context.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This work centers on the analysis of marriage payments, their diverse functions, and their social and economic implications. Key concepts include bridewealth, dowry, social reproduction, kinship, lineage, hierarchy, dominance, gender, status, and the influence of historical and economic contexts on cultural practices.
- Quote paper
- Johannes Lenhard (Author), 2013, What is being paid for in marriage payments?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/230425
