Marriage Amongst Equals

An Analysis of the Marriage Ceremony of the Merina of Madagascar

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2571336
AutoresMaurice Bloch (autor correspondente)
Ano1978
Volume13
Fascículo1
Páginas21
Data de publicação1978-03-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoMan (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0025-1496 • E-ISSN: 2397-2548
EditoraJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/2801062
OpenAlexW1506619170
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas10
Referências citadas4

in the case of systems with direct exchange, it is an asymmetrical transaction in the short term and therefore introduces an element of hierarchy conflicting with equality. Merina marriage ceremonies are examined as an example of the way this contradiction is halndled. This is by a ritual statement of the opposite hierarchy to that implied by the marriage and involves an1 unusual type of oratory. Several general anthropological questions are raised by this, concerning: i) the relationship of ritual statements and secular statemelnts; 2) the accepted views about gifts; and 3) marriage itself. It is suggested that if we look at marriages as transfers of people (not necessarily women) we find less variation between different systems as regards the relative status of affines than has normally been thought

Ancient history · Archaeology · Ceremony · Genealogy · Geography · Sociology · African history and culture analysis · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · Demography · Gender Studies · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · History