Why some girls don't rely on their fairy godmother to bring them a prince: The construction and functionality of marriages within descent and kin groups, and how it differs from marriages in Western societies

I am an ethnocentric, egotistical American. I am a while female who grew up comfortably in the southern part of Virginia. If you ask me I will tell you both that the United States government and American society not only operate smoothly, but are superior to other cultures. Is my opinion accurate? Probably not, but as an American those are the values that have been instilled in me since birth. Other cultures do exist, though, and they do more than exist, they thrive. They thrive in delicate, unstable environments with unstable economies and shaky living conditions. The means of survival of traditional communities based on kinship and descent rely heavily on their construction of marriage. The importance of marriage customs with in descent and kin groups can be seen in the participants' abandonment of individual interests, emphasis on rituals and the recognition of how marriage functions in kin groups.

Individuality within Marriages

Communities based on lineage are held together by obligation to the family and a need to come together in order to survive. In a culture such as this individuality is not functional. However, group alliance and a commitment to furthering the group is extremely important. The feeling of responsibility to the group directly impacts courtship and marriage. In lieu of seeking a romance that one feels will stimulate and satisfy them personally, they seek a union with a person that will aid the group as a whole.

Arranged marriages demonstrate a lack of individual interests in exchange for group interests, but one of the best examples of marriage that benefits the group as a whole in lieu of the individual is a polygamous or polyandrous marriage. In this type of union individual interests are literally abandoned as the marriage is not even made up of individuals, it is constructed of a group of people whose goal is to further their kin group. In lieu of entering marriage in order to fulfill individual interests (romance, companionship) these they enter marriage for economic and production purposes. In kin groups where plural marriages are not practiced, emphasis is still placed on the community, as marriages are considered to be relationships between groups as well as spouses. (Kottak, 143)

Marriage in

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