Question

what are the economic and cultural reasons for the marital/ family structure called fraternal polyandry that is found in some regions of Northern India, Tibet and the Himalayas?

Answer 1

Fraternal polyandry means brother or cousins of the family share a common wife. A women was married with elaborate ceremony only with one brother. An extreme gender imbalance hasbeen suggested as justification for polyandry. Sex ratio in india showing less women so they may share one wife in a family. In which two or more brother marry same wife have, with the wife they have equal sexual access.it associated with fraternal paternity.they believing that the child can have more than one father.

Polyandry is believed more likely in societies with scarce environmental resources. It believed to limit human population growth and enhance child survival. Some may related to scarcity of land.if brothers of one family may marry a single wife means their land will not share with some one, it remains intact and undivided. If marry from outside the land may split into small parts. And also they can reduce the expenditure of marriage ceremony. Only one will celeberate elaborately.