Endogamy
Endogamy is the practice of
marrying within a
social group. Cultures who practice endogamy require marriage between specified social groups, classes, or ethnicities. A Japanese endogamist would require marriage only to other Japanese. A Jewish endogamist would require marriage only to other Jews. Just about any accepted social grouping may provide a boundary for endogamy. Despite the fact that many people tend to marry members of their own social group, there are some groups that practice endogamy very strictly as an inherent part of their moral values, traditions or religious beliefs. The
caste-system of
India is based on an order of (mostly) endogamous groups.
Endogamy encourages group affiliation and bonding. Endogamy is a common practice among displanted cultures attempting to make roots in new countries as it encourages group solidarity and ensures greater control over group resources (which may be important to preserve where a group is attempting to establish itself within an alien culture). It helps minorities to survive over a long time in societies with other practices and beliefs. Famous examples of strictly endogamous religious groups are the
Yazidi in Northern
Iraq (under Islamic majority), the
Jews, the
Armenian-Iranians, and the
Parsi of
India (a country with a Hindu majority). Extreme forms of endogamy allow only marriages between close relatives. Like in very small endogamous groups this practice faces on one hand the problem of
inbreeding, and on the other hand this may lead (in some cases) to establish or save a
genetic/
phenotypical distinctiveness.
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Exogamy*
Consanguinity
