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Despite the biological fact that a female baby has better chances of survival than a male
baby the rate of infant mortality among female children is higher in comparison to male
children in lower age group in India.
Marriage
It is another important social institution.
Marriage is one of the most ancient, important, universal and indispensable social
institution which has been in existence since the inception of human civilisation.
It admits men and women to family life and fixes certain rights and duties in respect of
children born of their union.
Definition of Marriage
According to Malinowski, “Marriage is a contract for the production and maintenance of
children.”
According to Horton and Hunt, “Marriage is the approved social pattern whereby two or
more persons establish a family.”
Forms of Marriage
ON THE BASIS OF NUMBER OF MATES
1) Monogamy- Monogamy refers to a marriage of one man with one woman at a time.
a) Serial Monogamy-In many societies, individuals are permitted to marry again, often
on the death of the first spouse or after divorce. But they cannot have more than one
spouse at one and the same time. Such monogamous marriages are termed as Serial
Monogamy
b) Non-Serial Monogamy-In case of non-serial monogamy the question of remarriage
doesn‟t arise by either of the couple. Here the spouse has the same single spouse
throughout his life.
2) Polygamy
It is a type of marriage in which there is plurality of partners.
It allows a man to marry more than one women or a women to marry more than one man
at a time.
Polygamy is of three types:
1) Polygyny-It is a type of marriage in which a man marries more than one wife at a time.It is
found among few tribals as Naga, Gond and Biaga. Polygyny is divided into two types
a) Sororal Polygyny-
Sorroral polygyny is often called as sororate. The term sororate comes from latin word
„soror‟ which means sister. Accordingly it refers to a marriage practice in which a man
marries the sisters of his wife at a time or after the death of his wife.
