In most countries,
one man marries
one woman, and they
stay married unless
one of them dies or
they are divorced.
This system of marriage
is called monogamy.
Some societies permit polygamy, in which a
man has more than one wife, or a woman has
more than one husband. The marriage of a man to more
than one woman is called polygyny and is practiced
by many African and Middle Eastern peoples.
Islamic law permits a man to have as many as four wives.
Some societies practice polyandry, the marriage of a
woman to more than one man.
In certain cultures, marriage involves a gift from the
family of the bride or groom to the other's family.
In many societies, for example, the bride's family gives
money or property to the groom or his family.
Such a gift is called a dowry. In some cases, the dowry
is given to the bride so that she and her husband may
benefit from it. In other cultures, the groom and his
family present gifts to the family of the bride.
This offering is called a bride price.
Some societies require a person to marry someone who belongs
to his or her own tribe or group. This custom is called endogamy.
In other places, an individual must follow the rules of exogamy
and marry a person from another tribe or village. The most common
rule of exogamy requires a man or woman to marry someone outside
his or her own family.
Each culture has its own rules about which family members a person
is forbidden to marry. However, most societies forbid incest, which
is marriage or sexual relations between certain close relatives.
In nearly all cultures, such relatives include a parent and child or
a brother and sister.
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