Question

In the US the common practice is for whites to marry whites, blacks to marry blacks, and members of specific social classes to marry within their class. This marital practice is called ____.

1) exogamy
2) endogamy
3) polygyny
4) polygamy

Answer 1

In the United States, the practice of marrying within one's own racial or social class is called endogamy. Exogamy refers to marriages between partners from different social backgrounds, and this has become more accepted over time. Various cultures may practice monogamy, polygamy, specifically polygyny, or have specific rules that encourage or restrict types of marriages based on societal norms.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the U.S., the customary practice of individuals marrying within their own racial or social class is known as endogamy. This contrasts with exogamy, which refers to the marriage of partners from different social categories based on values such as love and compatibility rather than social conformities. While people may choose to marry within their own class or group (endogamous marriage), they are not as pressured as in the past to do so.

In different societies, marriage patterns can include monogamy, serial monogamy, or various forms of polygamy. One form of polygamy is polygyny, where a man has multiple wives, which is more common than polyandry, where a woman has multiple husbands.

Each society will have its own set of marriage practices, either encouraging or restricting certain types of marriages based on cultural norms, such as those addressing age, race, class, or kinship closeness (endogamy and exogamy rules).