Social Norms of Bridewealth: A Systematic Analysis of the Impact of Polygyny and Social-Economic Conditions

• In Event: 2112 - Open Session for Rationality and Society

Abstract

The widely varying institutional rules and social norms of resource transactions at marriage have been emerged under specific structural conditions. The special features of the marriage exchange system are deeply rooted in tradition and culture, depend on the social and economic structure and are governed by social custom and law. Social norms regulate the amount of money, goods or services transferred. Here we argue that bridewealth norms are expected when a) polygyny is prevalent, b) the lineage system is patrilinear, c) the economic basis is pastoral, horticultural or agricultural with extensive land use where womens’ labor is of high value. Case studies provide evidence for the correlations but a systematic multivariate study incorporating relevant structural conditions is still missing. We explore these relations systematically by a large data set based on the Ethnographic Atlas. This data source contains a multitude of information on social, cultural, economic, agricultural, family- and kinship-related characteristics of 1,267 contemporary and historical societies.

Authors

• Andreas Diekmann, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich

• Christoph Buehler, Leibniz University Hannover