Problem
Read the following excerpt:
Anthropologists love to study marriage and the rules around marriage. There are many different types of marriage patterns, including one where after the marriage the wife moves in with the husbands's family, one where the husband moves in with the wife's family, and even one where no one leaves their natal home after they marry. Imagine marrying someone and never leaving your parents' home, ever. Marriage rules around whom you can marry can also be complicated. Endogamy and exogamy are terms that denote marriage rules for whom you can marry within your culture. A group that practices endogamy supports marriages only among its own members. A group that practices exogamy supports marriages only with members of other groups. Groups included in rules of endogamy and exogamy can include cultural groups, ethnic groups, religious groups, groups defined by educational levels, extended family, and many other qualifiers.
The idea of endogamy helps keep partners within the same cultural group, encourages them to have the same cultural practices or religion, and helps to ensure that people continue to stay within a geographic boundary, not moving or marrying out of it. The idea of exogamy encourages new genetic material, preventing inbreeding in royal families, and it can create new relationships across other towns and neighboring villages. If a family member from one village marries into another, they can help to smooth out tensions or arguments between the groups and act as a bridge between them. Marriages are partnerships not only between people, but between families and sometimes entire cultures.
Now, think about your marriage, current relationship, or past and future partners and answer the following questions:
I. Does (or did) your family expect you to marry someone of a particular (i) race or ethnicity, (ii) social class, (iii) educational background, or (iv) religion? Why, or why not?
II. Are there any other factors about a marriage partner besides the four listed in Question 1 for which your family has/had expectations in your marriage partner?
III. Do you think about this differently than your parents or other family members? Why?
IV. What types of attributes do you prioritize/value in a partner?