Exogamy is a widely practiced marriage custom whereby individuals marry outside of their social group. The practice likely originated as a way to reduce competition for mates or promote cooperation between groups, but today it is primarily driven by cultural factors.
Endogamy is the practice of marrying within one’s social group and is still common in many cultures today. While the reasons for endogamy vary from culture to culture, the practice often results in strong social bonds and a sense of community.
Marriage wealth-exchange practices are strongly influenced by the economic modes of production (foraging, horticulture, pastoralism or intensive agriculture) of the society, the resulting relations of production and the possibility of wealth accumulation.
