McLemban (1970) in “primitive m’age” introduced term endogamy & exogamy. In it he also opposed L.H Morgan’s scheme of linking type of m’age to evolutionary stages.
Meaning – Practice of m’age within one’s own social group. I.e it refers to the expectation that a marriage partner will be chosen from within the social group of which one is member.
Example – tribal Endogamy, Caste endogamy,
- Toda – Moiety Endogamy – i.e Toda in India are divided into two endogamous moiety (each of Moiety has no. Of clan which practice exogamy.
Types : It varies from society to society. Any accepted social grouping → boundary of endogamy.
- Kindred endogamy – within Kindred, but beyond incest boundary.
- Religious endogamy– universally enforced. eg- castes in India.
- Local & Ethnic endogamy → Preservation of cohesion in Community
Features
- Thr endogamy → social group – aims to preserve constitutive elements (power, wealth, Religion , language) & pass to generations → perpetuate existence
- Encourages group affiliation & bonding greater control over group resources.
- Common practice among displanted culture attempting to make roots in new countries. eg- Yazidi (N. Iraq), Parsi (India)
- Ironically, endogamy → can lead to group extinction rather than Survival. → Same gene pool → disease. eg.- samaritan’s (palestine & Israel)
Reasons.
- Retention of cuttural identity. (Girl from outside → hybridisation → harm toc)
- Concern of Magic : fear psychosis consider outside girls as notorious of magic (black magic) eg-Thary (Tarai), Korwa (Mirajpur)
- Maintaining close hierarchical social structure.
- To maintain purity of group
- To prevent intermixing of biological traits which are unknown.
