Mizo - Marriage and Family



Marriage. Traditionally polygamy was allowed, but monogamy has been strictly enforced by the various churches. Marriage is by courtship, an institutionalized practice, with the choices of boys and girls approved by the parents. Premarital sex is common though not appreciated. Tribal endogamy is only normative; deviations do occur. Cross-cousin marriage is allowed but with less favor toward marriage with a father's sister's daughter. Payment of bride-price at marriage is a complicated affair. In certain areas a traditional practice of sharing portions of killed animals at a feast among the agnatic as well as affinal kin is still rigidly followed. Following marriage the married elder son has his house built and lives separately. The process goes on until the youngest son marries, after which he continues to reside with his parents. Divorce is Common, easy, and favorable to the man, and it can be granted for almost any reason. In all divorces occurring before a woman bears a child, the bride-price is returned to the man. A divorced woman usually keeps an infant with her until there is a demand for the child from the man.

Domestic Unit. Mizos do not distinguish between household and family. The people who live together under one roof and eat from the same hearth belong to one family. The average size of a family is between six and seven people. The nuclear family is the common type. The vertico-horizontal type of family tends to split into two sections, the nuclear family and the stem family. The life of the vertico-horizontal type of family is the shortest. This Ego-centered cyclic change is a unique feature. Usually the family consists of a parent of the male head of the family, the male head, his spouse, and his children.

Inheritance. Mizos practice male ultimogeniture: the youngest son remains with his parents till death to become the heir. All movable and immovable property belongs to a male, except certain personal articles of females that remain women's property. Through matrifiliation a woman's property is passed to her daughter.

Socialization. Children grow up with their parents and Paternal grandparents. No serious distinction is made between boys and girls during early childhood. Female infanticide ended more than sixty years ago. Mizos put much emphasis on teaching the child to develop a sense of group cooperation and Christian values.


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User Contributions:

1
Joseph
Please i need more info on this family thing i had seen only their marriage if you could upload some family of mizo i will be really pleased

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