Marriage In The Azande

Marriage, much like prison or slavery, is an institution created by humans. Throughout history marriage has served a much larger purpose than it does in today’s industrial societies. In America, most of us do not consider settling down and starting a family to be an option until we have completed school, acquired employment and found a comfortable social setting in which to “find ourselves.” We have the luxury of easing ourselves into a marriage mindset and preparing ourselves ahead of time. Many cultures throughout the world might find this to be selfish, as a marriage can be a useful tool for building alliances between otherwise warring communities or determine the continued existence of a family bloodline. “In nonindustrial societies …show more content…
An Azande male asks a negotiator to discuss an offer with the prospective bride’s father. “Unless the suitor was deemed undesirable immediately, her father would discuss the matter first with his brothers and sisters, and next with the woman in question.” (Culture Sketches Chapter 1) In the case of The Azande, the female in question may choose to refuse the offer of marriage, thereby leaving her options open for a more advantageous financial offer or a suitor of her …show more content…
We as enlightened humans feel an overwhelming desire to show others we have entered into a contractual obligation to fulfill our primal need for procreation, utilizing the recently devised (I’ll assume by a female) concept of monogamy. Marriage can be as blissful as any other mental state. But in the end, we feed the worms and leave behind a lineage of DNA. Marriage can be a personal Shangri La or a personal Hades. Your cultural upbringing will help you decide