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Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a social group, which can be based on convenience, religion, culture or power. It is common among small groups but can lead to genetic problems. Examples include caste, village, class, and lineage endogamy, and it is also practiced by refugee and migrant communities to preserve their culture. Exogamy is marrying outside the social group.
Endogamy refers to the practice of marriage within a social group. There are different forms, based among other things on convenience, religious beliefs, cultural values or the desire to consolidate power. The practice is widespread throughout the world, especially among small social groups concerned about the possibility of extinction. When you marry outside a social group, it is called exogamy.
Some common examples of social groups that practice endogamy are people of the same religion, individuals of the same nationality, people of the same class, and related individuals who wish to maintain power in the family. In essence, any social group can practice endogamy, although the larger the group, the greater the long-term success. Small groups can actually cause themselves to become extinct due to the practice, concentrating deleterious genes that lead to infertility, severe birth defects and other problems.
Often social groups tend simply towards in-group marriage, with people preferring partners with similar life and cultural backgrounds. Sometimes, inbreeding is actually heavily enforced through centuries of custom, law, or cultural pressure. In some regions of the world, certain types, such as lineage inbreeding, are actually banned, due to the risk of birth defects and developmental disabilities.
There are four approximate categories of endogamy: caste, village, class and lineage. In the first sense, people within a strict caste system prefer to marry people of the same caste. This is especially common in India, a nation with an extensive caste system. Village endogamy occurs when people in the same village or town intermarry with each other; sometimes this is done for convenience, as other partners may be hard to come by, especially in highly rural areas.
Class endogamy is one of the most widespread forms. Refers to marriage within a particular class; for example, explore marriage announcements in a large metropolitan newspaper, which typically document the unions of wealthy and powerful individuals. Cultural values often dictate this form, with professionals seeking partners with similar beliefs and life histories. Finally, lineage endogamy refers to the maintenance of marriages within an extended family; the Egyptian royal family, for example, followed this practice.
Refugee and migrant communities often practice endogamy in an attempt to keep their culture intact. This is especially common with small communities that would otherwise be swamped by a larger population.
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