Concubines in Sung China

Ebrey, Patricia Buckley

doi:10.1177/036319908601100101

Cited by 27 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Nor did he divorce his wife and sire legitimate children. In a society, such as traditional China where intensive polygyny and divorce were entirely legitimate, the emperor would have had much more control over the inheritance rights of his offspring, so that if a principal wife was barren, the offspring of a concubine could inherit (Ebrey 1986).…”

Section: Controls On Concubinage Among the Elitementioning

confidence: 99%

The Establishment and Maintenance of Socially Imposed Monogamy in Western Europe

MacDonald

1995

Polit. life sci.

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Although stratified societies have typically been characterized by intensive polygyny, socially imposed monogamy has developed in the stratified societies of Western Europe. Following a critical review of other theories of socially imposed monogamy, a multivariate, non-deterministic theory is developed. Within this theory a variety of internal political processes can result in socially imposed monogamy, but socially imposed monogamy, while consistent with evolutionary theory, is underdetermined with respect to 1.) evolutionary theory; 2.) human nature/nurture (i. e., the characteristics of humans); or 3.) external ecological variables. Data on the origins and maintenance of socially imposed monogamy in Western Europe are reviewed indicating that post-antiquity socially imposed monogamy originated in the late Middle Ages and has been maintained by a variety of social controls and ideologies since that period, including political activities of the Christian Church, and, in later periods, women and lower and middle status males. As a result of institutionalized controls on reproduction, non-monogamous Western sexuality has been directed at obtaining psychological rewards deriving from evolved motivational systems (e. g., sexual pleasure, excitement, feelings of dominance, status, or intimacy) but this non-monogamous sexuality has not typically been a major source of increased reproductive success. The Establishment and Maintenance of Socially Imposed Monogamy in Western EuropeOne of the most difficult and interesting problems in the attempt to provide an evolutionary account of human affairs is that of the origins and maintenance of socially imposed monogamy in Western Europe. There is excellent evidence for strong associations between wealth and reproductive success in traditional societies from around the world (e. g., Alexander

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Section: Controls On Concubinage Among the Elitementioning

confidence: 99%

The Establishment and Maintenance of Socially Imposed Monogamy in Western Europe

MacDonald

1995

Polit. life sci.

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“…Gaulin and Boster (1990) proposed a “female-competition model” arguing that, in stratified and monogamous societies, dowry is used as a means of competition among women for desirable husbands. In ancient China, dowry served to distinguish the higher status wife from the concubine (Ebrey 1986; Fortunato et al 2006). Large dowries are also common in India and China under conditions where hypergyny is almost impossible.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marriage stability in a pastoralist society

Mace

2019

Behavioral Ecology

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We examined how individual investment was associated with the duration of marriage partnerships in a pastoralist society of Amdo Tibetans in China. We collected demographic and socioeconomic data from 420 women and 369 men over five villages to assess which factors predicted partnership length. We found that the payment of dowry and bridewealth from both sides of the family predicted marriage stability. The production of offspring, regardless of their survivorship, also had a positive effect on marriage duration, as did trial marriage, a time period before formal marriage. Finally, we found that if both bride and groom invest resources initially into a partnership—whether wealth or labor—their subsequent partnership is stronger than couples who do not make such investments. This paper adds to our understanding of complex social institutions like marriage from a behavioral ecological perspective.

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“…16 Uxorilocal, cousin, and afterlife marriages both reflected the diversities in family circumstances as well as the complexities in family dynamics and spousal relationships. 17 The strong connections among female family members not only challenged the dominance of the patrilineal and patriarchal principles, but also revealed the close relationship between women and their natal families. 18 Of all the scholarly work on family relationships, the parent-child bond has received the most attention.…”

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confidence: 99%