One of the main divisions in Mursi family-life is that of clans. Mursi people naturally tend to clump together as clans based on their ancestors' names. These clans are usually very tightly bound and treat each other close like family. These clans tend to become pretty large and can consist of up to fifty men and are so tightly bound that, in the case of an infertile Mursi man, he will ask one of his clansmen to impregnate his wife on his behalf. The infertile man will still be considered the child's legal father, and the biological father will have no role in the child's name or life outside of clansmen roles.
Not only are these Mursi clans tightly bound, but the relationship with family is also very close. A husband and wife are not only married by name, but they become a part of each others' families and clans. A husband becomes like a son to his mother-in-law and vice versa. Clans become intertwined through marriage, which only adds to the tight bonds between the Mursi people across the different clans and family names.
Polygamy is a normal thing that is found in Mursi marriage. Men are allowed to wed multiple women, however, it is scarcely seen in the average Mursi's life. This is because the concept of marriage, to a Mursi man, is something of a great debt to his wife's family. The Mursi use something called Bridewealth-a sort of alternative to dowry. The husband must give the wife's family compensation for taking their daughter's labor and fertility. When getting married, a Mursi man is indebted to the wife and her family for the next three generations.
Lise Jorgenson, Stine 2011Ethnographic Reflections On Marriage In Mursi. Ebook. 1st edition. Trondheim: NTNU. http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:442482/FULLTEXT01.pdf, accessed June 3 , 2015.
The way family interaction exists in Mursi culture is very interesting to any anthropologist or even a regular person. The first of many impressions this leaves on a reader is that such a seemingly uncivilized and indigenous people can be so complex and firm in their moral beliefs. The reality is, just because someone seems to someone who comes from a "civilized society" does not necessarily mean that those people have no beliefs or values. The lack of technology and ethics we commonly know as Americans. As Americans, we are stuck in a sort of ethnocentric mindset that leads us to think that our society is superior to that of other countries, indigenous people included. After reading this blog post, we should be convinced to dispose of this belief.
ReplyDeleteThe Mursi people value family and marriage very highly.above their other cultural values. This can be both a cause and a result of the fact that, since they live in a far corner of Ethiopia, they do not have much besides their own families. This almost directly relates to how the family scene is so important in Arabic culture. As an Arab Muslim, I am permitted to wed four wives, as long as resources allow for it. This is also almost exactly like the Mursi people's idea of polygamy. The way the Mursi people view marriage as such a high and special concept reflects on how respectful of a people they are. The idea of being indebted for three generations can be seen as a great gratefulness and a sign of extreme compassion. Similarly, Arabic families become completely intertwined after a marriage; each family begins to depend on each other and all members become like one big family.
The Mursi may not be "just another savage group" of people, but they are actually a group of people that have a very structured society that keeps track and values family names, clans, and tribes. Marriage is another highly valued concept that involves the blending of two families or clans. It is a beautiful cultural practice when looked at from an impartial eye, although it may seem very ugly from an enculturated and closed off mindset. This point can relate to me most, since the Mursi are seen by people as uncivilized even though they really are. Unfortunately this has become the case with many of the Arab/Muslim countries around the Middle East are seen as an extremist population and terrorists, when, in reality, there are very diverse people, all coming from kind and completely normal backgrounds.