Tuvans - Marriage and Family



In the past marriages were arranged and took place at the ages of 12 or 13. Polygamy was not infrequent. Today polygamy is illegal, the minimum age for marriage is 18 years, and parental consent is not required. Formerly, the bride lived with the husband's family; today, the couple's place of residence is determined mostly by economic conditions. Divorce has become common; abortion is a widespread form of birth control because of a lack of alternatives. Three-generation families, still common in the countryside, are giving way to two-generation (nuclear) families in the towns as housing becomes more available. In the past inheritance was strictly through the male lines of descent; today all children have equal rights of inheritance.


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