Exogamy

Exogamy is a social arrangement where marriage is allowed only outside a social group. The social groups define the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. In social science, exogamy is viewed as a combination of two related aspects: biological and cultural. Biological exogamy is marriage of nonblood-related beings, regulated by forms of incest law. Cultural exogamy is the marrying outside of a specific cultural group. The group defines the scope of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms of that group are the social enforcement mechanisms. Exogamy often contrasts with endogamy.

Biological aspect

Biological exogamy is marriage of nonblood-related beings, which is regulated by forms of incest law. A form of exogamy is dual exogamy, in which two groups engage in continual wife exchange. In the animal kingdom, exogamy is observed in many species. For example, in the purple martin species, the males depart from their breeding site after the chicks have hatched and return only occasionally to feed the chicks. The females, however, continue to mate with males from neighboring nests. This ensures genetic diversity in the offspring.

Cultural aspect

Cultural exogamy is the custom of marrying outside a specified group of people to which a person belongs. For example, a person can belong to a specific nationality, family, profession, or religion, and is expected to marry someone outside of that group. This form of exogamy is often seen in many societies, including the Indian society, where people are divided into different castes and are expected to marry outside their own caste.

See also

• Endogamy
• Incest taboo
• Kinship
• Marriage

References

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