Question

How does marriage function as a kind of group alliance? What role do lobola (also known as bride price) and dowries play in creating and maintaining marriage alliances?

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) A group alliance is something that entails that there are two or more parties involved. Furthermore, the alliance would typically suggest a syndicate for the purpose of acquiring a common goal. In the case of a marriage, there are two parties, namely the husband and wife. These parties work towards the common goal of providing care, responsibility, security, nurturing, intimacy etc as the common goal.

Generally, when an alliance is formed, along with the common goal, there is also a profit margin for the parties. Through the exchange of resources required for acquiring their goals, the parties also gain from each other. This would turn the alliance into a “win-win” situation. In the case of “dowry”, the bride’s family would generally have to pay the groom some amount of money at the time of the marriage. This money would then be used to help the couple settle down with a house or other requirements. This dowry, therefore, functions as a profit margin that is external from the common goals that they set out to acquire together through the alliance of marriage.