Sororate marriage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sororate marriage is the sociological custom of a man marrying (or engaging in sexual activity with) his wife's sister (rarely with her brother), usually after the wife is dead or has proved infertile.
From an anthropological standpoint, this practice strengthens the ties between both groups (the wife's family or clan and the husband's) and preserves the contract between the two to provide children and continue the alliance.
The Inuit people of northern Alaska, Canada and Greenland commonly follow this custom.
[edit] See also
- Anticipatory sororate
- Levirate marriage
- Sororal polygyny
- Types of marriages
[edit] References
- The Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices
- O'Neil,Dr. Dennis. Marriage Rules: Part II. July 12, 2005. Behavioral Science Department. Nov.1,2005 [1]
- Kottak, Conrad P.. Window on Humanity. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies inc., 2005
