Marriage in Culture: Practice And Meaning Across Diverse Societies

by Janice E. Stockard

MARRIAGE IN CULTURE is an innovative text that makes accessible to a broad audience the rich insights anthropology provides into the meaning of marriage in different cultures. Marriage practices in the four societies discussed contrast with each other in dramatic ways-from number of spouses to the meaning of postmarital residence arrangements. The author provides compelling ethnographic accounts of the !Kung San (Bushman), Chinese, Iroquois, and Tibetan societies to familiarize students with anthropologists' unique perspective on marriage in culture. Each chapter places marriage within the context of the whole culture, exploring the ways in which different economic, political, family, and gender systems shape the practice and meaning of marriage. The author makes an original contribution by highlighting the importance of postmarital residence in defining different experiences of marriage for husbands and wives in each society.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2001

Reviews

[David Nee]

I didn't read it all though. I found it very interesting. anthropological analysis of four different cultures regarding marriage locality after marriage, family lineage, male and female roles within marriage along with purposes and family involvement and marriage. I only read the Chinese one really..

[Graham Oliver · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read the epilogue. It has everything you care about knowing without the boring bits.

[Daniel Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, but short.