Marriage practices in polygamous, incestuous, and dowry-based societies

¶ … marriage that I consider to be contrary to the ideals I hold. This essay will discuss how polygamy and incest-based marriage is diametrically opposed to my own personal views on matrimony and marriage. This essay will also discuss the role of bride wealth or dowry in our society today. Finally this essay will examine Herzog's (2009) film that captured the mating rituals of the Wodabbe culture in Central Africa.

Polygamy and Incest

The text defined polygamy as " the marriage between one man and two or more women." Polygamy represents a male dominated family unit that is typified by many offspring and large families. This practice has been idealized throughout the Mormon religious cult and other international societies more tolerant on this form of marriage and lifestyle.

There seems to be advantages for all parties involved in polygamy and I realize that this way of life may work in some cultures. In today's world however, the liberated female attitudes view this arrangement as unequal and degrading the female version of the species. The economics of a polygamous family unit seem to be attractive as more contributors to the family may result in more available resources. This may not outweigh the emotional demands of the man of the family and ultimately result in dysfunction.

Throughout history, incest has been used as a means to secure family power structures and control the course of events for empires and kingdoms. The text describes incest as a taboo that "occurs fairly widely in human societies, so avoiding it is not instinctual. It is a learned cultural response to the possible biological consequences of inbreeding, (p.222). The social ramifications of this practice today are unthinkable but in some areas of our culture there are examples of these relationships. My personal taste in the opposite sex, learned or inherited, finds this practice not personally pleasing at find that societies that build their environment in such ways are not something I want to be a part of.

Wodabbe Cultural Comparisons

Herzog's (2009) documentary, Wodabbe: Herdsmen of the Sun, presented interesting context to view today's western mating cultures against. The film presented interesting aspects of how these people may choose their mates, and how this ritual has supplied these people with a suitable method of navigating their unique pathway in life. The culture expressed by the Wodabbe in this film, is foreign to the western mind in many ways. Their nomadic disposition and dependence on their livestock creates an environment that is not extremely relatble to the western frame of mind.

What can be correlated between the two societies from the evidence presented in the film, is that the mating rituals of any culture are artistic and humanistic by nature. The mysterious qualities inherent within the natural scheme of things, must also be present in the way that humans natural interact with one another. The mystery of life often plays out with the people we choose to surround ourselves with, and our marriage or life partner reveals much about our own hidden desires and the search for the meaning behind those desires.

The film presented the necessity of beauty, music and ritual to an effective and useful mating process. While the general aesthetics of the performances differ, the western rituals of dressing up and dancing are not much different from a particular point-of-view. The needs of mother nature and the development of the human race are also revealed in these examinations and attempts at correlating human behavior across vast cultures.