Final answer:
Non-Western societies like the Yanomami may consider parallel cousins as preferred marriage partners to maintain lineage and family alliances. While Western societies often have legal restrictions against marrying close relatives, other societies have different norms and marriage rules aimed at preserving cultural and familial integrity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marriage rules in some non-Western societies, such as the Yanomami, designate parallel cousins as preferred sexual or marriage partners. These kinship systems and marriage customs can significantly differ from those in Western societies, where marrying close relatives such as first cousins is often subject to legal restriction or cultural taboo. In contrast, systems like cross cousin marriage may be encouraged in other societies. It's not just about who one can marry, but also about maintaining lineage, alliances between families, or blood quantum within a community.
In some Indigenous communities, considerations for kinship and marriage include strategies to maintain tribal membership and lineage continuity. For instance, some communities are changing policies to allow individuals claiming descent from an enrolled member, countering the loss of members due to outmarriage. Similarly, the concept of ghost marriage exists in certain cultures to maintain lineage connections, even beyond the lifetimes of the individuals involved.