Why a Cousin Becomes a Spouse. Elementary, says Levi-Strauss

A Tribute to Claude Levi-Strauss from India and Vistas of the Road Ahead

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12498910
AutoresRita Brara (autor correspondente)
Ano2009
Volume15
Fascículo2
Páginas62-86
Data de publicação2009-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAsian Journal of Women s Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1225-9276 • E-ISSN: 2377-004X
EditoraTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/12259276.2009.11666067
OpenAlexW2154473365
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas21

This paper recapitulates Claude Levi-Strauss' distinctive contribution to our understanding of cousin marriage and its refinements in the context of India. Going beyond Levi-Strauss' own framework, it argues, first, that incest taboos draw their strength from religious injunctions. From this perspective, the understanding of Muslim kinship in north India would want to include parallel-as well as cross-cousins within the elementary structure of marriage relationships that makes the cousin marriage practices of Muslims intelligible. At a second plane, it investigates the hybrid marriage practices of distinct social groups that grow out of assembling and re-assembling elements of Muslim and Hindu incest prohibitions as well as marriage preferences and thereby contributes to our understanding of sub-continental marriage patterns. From this matrix, the actual choice of a parallel- or cross-cousin as a spouse invites the exploration of kinship and social class, the significance of direct and indirect exchange in marriage and the gendering of cousin marriage practices

Arranged Marriage · Cousin · Spouse · Tribute · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Islamic Studies and History · Marriage and Sexual Relationships