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
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Structural-Functionalist Perspectives on Marriage Payments
2.1 Bridewealth and Dowry Distinctions
2.2 Economic and Jural Dimensions
3. Redistribution of Property and Subsistence
3.1 Cattle and Rights in Children
3.2 Transactional Sex and Social Independence
4. Marriage Payments, Alliances, and Marxist Critiques
4.1 Kinship Linkages and Corporate Structures
4.2 Dominance, Hierarchy, and Control
5. Modern Contexts: Masculinity and Social Status
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper critically examines the concept of "marriage payments" by challenging the traditional structural-functionalist view that they function merely as a material trade. It argues that these payments are complex mechanisms integral to social reproduction, the negotiation of status, and the maintenance of inter-generational power structures rather than simple transactional exchanges.
- The critique of the "money versus rights" paradigm in marriage payments.
- Distinctions between bridewealth and dowry in diverse socio-economic systems.
- The role of marriage payments in creating alliances and establishing social hierarchy.
- Marxist interpretations of marriage payments as tools for control and dominance.
- The modern significance of marriage payments for male social maturity and status.
Excerpt from the Book
What is being paid for in marriage payments?
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.
Differentiating between dowry and bridewealth, I want to recapitulates the structural functionalist perspective more clearly. Dowry – the wealth that the wife brings ‘into’ the marriage, the union as a whole - is as such a “pre-mortem inheritance” (Comaroff, 1980:11). Particularly in hierarchical societies, it constitutes the exchange of status for wealth – the woman is with her dowry able to ‘marry up’. Bridewealth on the other hand is the more illustrative category for the structural-functionalist idea of exchange. As a gift from the groom and his kin to the bride’s kin, it is a direct exchange of wealth for rights in a woman. As Comaroff (1980:18ff) argues, the structural-functionalist are inclined to analyse the jural – and as I would say economic - dimension of bride payments. For them "marriage continues to be seen primarily as a bundle of rights, and bridewealth as the instrument of their production and / or exchange" (ibid.:18). In the traditional view, marriage can only become ‘legalised’ with a payment and this payment "signals the alienation of various kinds of rights in a women to her husband and his kin" (ibid.). The most significant of these rights – beyond the subordinate role of sexuality – is the legitimate right in children, i.e. the continuation of the lineage.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the core argument that marriage payments should be viewed as elements of social reproduction rather than simple commercial transactions.
2. Structural-Functionalist Perspectives on Marriage Payments: This section details the traditional academic view, distinguishing between dowry as inheritance and bridewealth as a transactional exchange of rights.
3. Redistribution of Property and Subsistence: This chapter explores how bridewealth functions as a mechanism for resource distribution and how it relates to rights in heirs and broader subsistence needs.
4. Marriage Payments, Alliances, and Marxist Critiques: This section shifts to the broader political and economic implications, discussing how payments forge alliances or serve as tools of dominance and generational control.
5. Modern Contexts: Masculinity and Social Status: This chapter examines how marriage payments, even when commodified or challenged by economic crises, remain essential for male social identity and transition to adulthood.
6. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the arguments, advocating for a nuanced understanding of marriage payments that accounts for specific local systems rather than applying universal generalizations.
Keywords
Marriage payments, Bridewealth, Dowry, Structural-functionalism, Social reproduction, Kinship, Marxist anthropology, Alliances, Status, Social maturity, Masculinity, Lineage, Transactional sex, Economic crisis, Property redistribution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on deconstructing the definition of "marriage payments," arguing that they are not simply material trades but complex social instruments used for reproduction, status negotiation, and kinship maintenance.
What are the primary thematic fields covered in the text?
The themes include the anthropology of kinship, the economic dimensions of marriage, the power dynamics between generations, and the shifting significance of payments in modern versus traditional societies.
What is the main research question of the work?
The work seeks to answer what is actually "being paid for" in marriage payments, questioning whether the traditional "money versus rights" formula is sufficient to explain the diverse roles of these payments.
Which scientific method is utilized in this paper?
The author employs a comparative ethnographic analysis, synthesizing literature and case studies from different cultural contexts to challenge prevailing structural-functionalist theories.
What topics are addressed in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the distinction between dowry and bridewealth, the role of cattle in Nuer society, Marxist critiques of elder control, and the impact of economic crises on the meaning of marriage payments in Niger.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Bridewealth, Dowry, Social Reproduction, Kinship, Marxist Anthropology, and Social Status.
How does the author define the relationship between "cold" cattle and "hot" fertility?
The author explains that in specific Bantu contexts, cattle are seen as a "cold" resource that allows a man to access the "hot" capacity of childbearing and biological reproduction.
Why does the author discuss the phenomenon of "transactional sex" in South Africa?
The author uses this as a borderline case to illustrate that in times of economic crisis, resources are often transferred directly to women for status and subsistence, highlighting a shift away from traditional lineage-based bridewealth.
What role does marriage play in the life of men in Niger according to the author?
The author notes that in Niger, marriage is a vital marker of adulthood; without the ability to pay bridewealth, men may find themselves suspended in a state of "prolonged immaturity" or "feminization."
- Quote paper
- Johannes Lenhard (Author), 2013, What is being paid for in marriage payments?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/230425
